Tales of an Adventurer
by the green lama
Summary: Ann's cousin accompanied her on the voyage to Skull Island. Now, almost five years on, Jane lives in New York with her blonde haired, blue eyed son, dwelling on memories of his father.
1. Chapter 1: Freddie

**A/N:** Unfortunately, I don't own King Kong, nor did I write the original story or come up with the original characters we all know and love. In this story, Jane and Freddie are the only two (I can think of) that are mine! So, without further ado...

**Chapter I: Freddie**

It was a blustery, sunny afternoon in April 1937, and the clocks of New York had just struck two o'clock. A yellow cab pulled away from the kerb, and the woman who had just climbed out of it looked up at the tall apartment block she stood in front of. Ann Driscoll cast a glance over shoulder at her husband, and he slipped his hand into her own, before leading her inside.

"Which floor is it, again?" Jack asked as they approached an elevator.

"You ask that every time we visit," Ann said, smiling fondly, but she pressed the circular button marked '22' and the doors slid shut. "You could at least try to remember Jane's address."

"She's your cousin, and I see no reason why a valuable spot in my memory should be taken up by a piece of information you will never forget."

The twenty-second floor was bright and airy, with magnolia walls and large windows along one side of the corridor. Along the other, at wide intervals, was a row of doors; and it was outside the second of these, '222', that Ann stopped and knocked.

From inside they heard a child's voice and exchanged grins, before the door was opened by the young woman they both knew so well: Jane Bennet. She was about Ann's height, with a slender figure similar to the one her cousin usually maintained. Green eyes twinkled in merriment, and long, golden-brown hair framed similarly beautiful features.

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "Ann, Jack! It's good to see you!" She spoke with the refined accent of an upper class Englishwoman, hanging on to her roots despite having lived thousands of miles across the Atlantic from her homeland for years.

She embraced her American cousin warmly and kissed Jack's cheek, then led them into her home, saying, "Come in, come in!"

The guests found themselves straight away in the main living area of the apartment, a comfortable-looking space with walls painted pale yellow and an array of mismatched furniture assembled over time from countless different sources. The room was a clash of cultures, with an old English grandfather clock that was it's owner's pride and joy and bookcases full of literary classics, but scattered over the antique rugs on the floor were innumerable toys and picture books.

"I'm sorry about the mess," Jane began, "My little monkey has yet to learn to clean up after himself." Ann smiled. This little monkey, if a little untidy, was the very reason for his mother's existence, she knew. "Freddie!" Jane called, and a small boy of perhaps four years old came hurtling out of a door with a wide grin on his face.

"Uncle Jack!" he exclaimed, and threw himself into the playwright's open arms. Jack was the child's favourite playmate, a title that he took great enjoyment in.

"How are you, buddy?" he asked, ruffling Freddie's short blonde hair with a smile.

"Very sick, I should imagine," Jane answered for him. "My mother sent me a parcel of fudge that arrived this morning, and I never realised just how quickly it disappears down little boys' throats."

"It was yummy!" her son said excitedly. Now, he hugged Ann, though he eyed her nervously. "How is your little baby?" he asked.

The actress smiled and placed one hand on the growing bump of her first child. "I'm sure they're just fine," she told the little boy, but his attention was swiftly turned back to her husband.

"Uncle Jack!" he cried, "Come and see my trains! I've a new one, a red one, and you'll like it!"

Jack laughed, and let the youngster lead him away by the hand, leaving the cousins alone.

"He is the most adorable little thing I ever laid eyes on!" Ann told her companion as they embraced again.

"Though soon you'll have your own to challenge him for your affections," Jane replied with a smile, eyeing her cousin's bump. They sat down side-by-side on a low red sofa. "How far along are you?"

"Four months now, according to my doctor."

"And do you have any idea what you're going to call the child?"

"Jack and I can't agree. If it's a boy, I'd like to call him William, keeping playwright names in the family, but Jack prefers Peter, and for a girl I like Rebecca, after my favourite book, whereas my husband wants to call her Joanna, after his late grandmother."

Jane smiled. "I guess I'm lucky not to have had that problem when I had Freddie, his father having been long gone by then."

Ann smiled too, though with a hint of sadness and pity. She, along with her husband, was one of the few who had known Freddie's father, having been on the infamous voyage during which the little boy was conceived.

"Can I get you a drink?" Jane asked, swiftly changing the subject as if she knew her cousin's thoughts. "Coffee, or perhaps something a little stronger? Or, if you would like, my mother sent some proper English tea along with the fudge. It's good quality, and I've been dying to open it."

Ann wrinkled her nose at the prospect of the bittersweet drink her cousin was so fond of. "Just coffee, thanks."

"Do you know if Jack will want anything?"

"Nothing for me, Jane," the man himself said, coming out of Freddie's room with the boy in tow. "But would you mind terribly if I took Freddie out for a little while?"

"Not at all," the young mother replied quickly, "As long as you bring him back in time for dinner."

Freddie squealed in delight, and, after kissing his mother's cheek and Jack helping him on with his coat, pulled his uncle out of the door as quickly as he could.

Ann laughed as she watched them go. "Jack loves it," she told her cousin. "I think he'll love having a little one of his own."

"Indeed, I'm not sure who enjoys your visits more, him or Freddie!"

Both young women now passed into the small kitchen, and Ann looked out of the large window over the Manhattan skyline while Jane bustled about making the coffee.

"Freddie looks more like his father every time I see him," the actress said softly. She exchanged glances with her cousin; she knew Jane liked to avoid this topic whenever she could. "Blonde hair, the brightest blue eyes I've seen in a long time… even his facial features are starting to resemble those of the –"

"Ann, please don't."

Jane handed her cousin a mug of coffee with an awkward glance. Ann ignored her discomfort.

"Jane, we've never spoken about him before. Your son is five years old. Don't you think it's high time we did?"

"What is there to talk about?"

"Plenty, you know that. You never even told me how you fell in love with him in the first place."

They returned to their seats on the sofa, and Jane finally gave in to her cousin.

"It was on the infamous voyage of '33," she began, "This much you know. We both liked each other from the beginning, only neither of us wanted to confess it for months. I was always friends with Hayes, but the Captain always either criticised or ignored me, only speaking to me out of pure necessity." She sighed wistfully. "And yet I fell for him. Somehow, despite all of his teasing, Captain Englehorn stole my heart." She caught her cousin's eye with a sad smile. "I think it was the accent that did it eventually; I always liked his accent. And his eyes – he had a way of looking at me that would make any woman weak at the knees."

Ann watched her in disbelief. She'd never expected Jane to open up quite like this. "And he liked you too, I suppose."

"Enough so to father my child, yes. He coped very well with the idea, I thought. I half expected him to run as soon as I told him of my pregnancy, but instead he rented me an apartment."

Ann smiled. "Whenever I think of Englehorn, I picture him on Skull Island wielding a machine gun, or standing at the wheel of the Venture in his white cap with a cigarette in his mouth. I can't imagine him as a father."

"Neither could he, seemingly." Jane sighed sadly. "The bank balance started to run low, so he went to sea again to make some money. He promised to send the rent for the apartment, and that he'd be back in a couple of months, only…"

Ann finished for her. "…He never returned."

Jane's eyes glistened with tears, and her cousin put a comforting arm round her shoulders.

"Do you still miss him?" Ann asked.

"I never stopped loving him. That's why Freddie has his father's name." She smiled through her tears. "I taught him to introduce himself properly as 'Frederick Englehorn'. You should hear him, he's quite the little gentleman."

Ann had never told Jane, but both her and her husband had been watching for the Venture's return to dock in New York since the day he'd left. "I'm sure Englehorn will return one day," she said, and kissed her cousin's forehead softly. "Believe me, he will."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you liked this! Kindly leave me a review, and I'll upload the next chapter in return. I know not much happened in this one, but it gets better, I promise!

the green lama


	2. Chapter 2: Nautical Training

**Chapter II: Nautical Training**

"Mummy! Mummy, don't let him get me!"

Fear shot through Jane as she was woken quickly by her son's frantic shouts.

"Mum!"

"Freddie!" She scrambled out of bed and sped through to his bedroom. "I'm coming!"

Her son was sat up in bed, clutching his teddy bear tightly, an expression of pure terror on his face and his eyes wet with tears. Otherwise, his room was empty.

Jane let out a sigh of relief as she folded her son tightly in her arms.

"What is it, Freddie?"

"I saw a man!" he cried. "He was outside my window, and he was scary!"

Jane went to the only window and pulled back the curtains. The street below was silent; it was just gone three in the morning. "There's no one there," she told the child. "Your window is twenty-two floors off the ground, how could there possibly be a man there?"

"I saw him!" Freddie insisted.

Smiling comfortingly, Jane held her son in her arms, gently stroking his light blonde hair. "You had a bad dream, darling," she said softly, rocking him back and forth. "There's no one there. You're safe."

"But I saw him! He was right outside!" her son repeated.

"The curtains were closed all the time," she told him. "You couldn't have seen him even if he was there." She smiled encouragingly and wiped away his tears with her thumb. "There's nothing to be scared of, look." She picked him up and carried him to the window, still clutching his teddy, where he peered out nervously. "You see? The street is empty."

He smiled shyly, cheering up instantly. "I didn't see him after all," he said with a giggle, but Jane took him back to her own bed anyway, and he snuggled up in her arms affectionately. "I love you, mummy," he whispered, and she couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face.

"I love you too, Freddie."

He drifted off back to sleep in seconds, but Jane had been having her own dream. Though not quite so terrifying as her son's, the memories that it replayed were going through her mind all night.

* * *

**1933**

"They're never going to allow this, Ann."

Jane followed her cousin through the chaos of New York docks after the filmmaker they'd only recently met. It was a cold October evening in 1933, and the actress had just been given a part in Carl Denham's new film.

"You'll be fine!" Ann insisted. "Mr. Denham's already given you his permission."

"But it's not Mr. Denham's ship."

"Here we are, ladies." Carl himself turned to face them with a smile, gesturing towards a tramp steamer of no great size. "May I present the vessel that will carry us to Singapore?"

Jane eyed it with a vague distaste that he noticed instantly.

"Don't let appearances deceive you," he added quickly, "It's much more spacious on board."

He turned away to talk quietly to a young, dark-haired man in glasses, and the cousins exchanged glances.

"Are you sure about this?" Jane asked Ann.

"Believe me," she replied, "This role is looking less attractive every second."

"Let's just hope Mr. Driscoll's all he's made out to be."

Denham was now talking frantically to a man they knew was a sailor by his off-white cap. "There is a small problem," he explained to the seaman, "We need an extra cabin."

"Why, don't you have enough already?" The man spoke in a strong German accent.

"We have a new addition to our party. My leading actress' cousin, she begged me to be able to come."

Ann and Jane approached them nervously, and the sailor's sharp blue eyes drifted over them both.

"Ann Darrow," the first said confidently, shaking his hand. Next he shook Jane's. "And my cousin Jane Bennet."

"Captain Englehorn," he returned. "Which of you is it that requires the extra cabin?"

"Me, sir," Jane said simply. She was surprised to find that the Captain was handsome and tall, with short blonde hair just visible beneath the cap that shadowed his tanned features.

"My apologies," he said, not sounding in the least like he meant it, "But I have none spare."

Jane groaned.

"She can share my cabin," Ann put in quickly.

"It's too small for one woman, let alone two."

"I don't care!" Jane said desperately. "I won't be in your way, I promise. You'll barely notice I'm there. Please let me come."

"Give me one good reason why."

"I can help out onboard, if you like."

"What help can you be to us?"

"My father used to own a shipping company, I know a little of the business. Also, I'm a good mathematician, I can do your accounts. There must be something!"

Shaking his head, Englehorn made to walk away, but Jane stepped forward quickly and grabbed hold of his arm in desperation. "Please, Captain," she continued in a voice so quiet only he could hear, "Ann and I live together. We can barely scrape together the rent as it is on two incomes. If she goes, I won't survive."

He looked taken aback. His eyes met hers with a look that she did not understand, but it flashed by quickly, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Now, his gaze lingered on her hand that still held on to his sleeve, and she withdrew it quickly, apologising quietly.

"Very well," he said at length, and both women's faces melted into grateful smiles. "But stay out of the way." And he walked away quickly before either of them could thank him.

Within the next quarter-hour, the Venture set sail, and the cousins were up on deck as it did so. The vessel poured out a huge grey cloud that streamed out behind her, and the bright lights of the city had never looked so good as they did from off the coast.

"Isn't this wonderful?" Ann said excitedly. "We're going to Singapore!"

"And you, my dear Ann, will finally make your fortune as the star I've always known you to be."

"And," the actress added quietly, "We'll meet Jack Driscoll!"

"Ma'am?"

Ann blushed furiously as they turned to see a tall African-American striding towards them. He held out a hand and Jane shook it uncertainly.

"My name is Hayes," he said, "I'm the first mate of this ship."

"Jane Bennet," she returned, "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hayes."

He greeted Ann briefly, before turning his attention back to her cousin. "I hear you have some knowledge of the shipping business."

She glanced over his shoulder at the bridge where the Captain stood at the wheel. "Very little, yes," she said.

"I'm curious as to exactly what you know."

"My father and his partner owned a shipping company, 'Bennett, Ryder, and Co'. I know how to steer a ship and change speed, in theory anyway, and once attempted to plot a course, but failed spectacularly at that."

"I've heard of the company. Based in Southampton, England?"

"It used to be, yes, but was sold by Ryder after my father's death."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear it." He looked it too, but Jane smiled.

"Why do you ask?"

"The second mate, Mr Green, is having problems doing his job. His age has finally caught up with him, I believe. I was wondering if you could help us."

She stared in amazement. "Does the Captain know?"

"Sure, why?"

"He only let me on this ship on the condition that I stay out of the way."

Hayes grinned. "Never mind him." Ann raised an eyebrow. "Come up to the bridge tomorrow anyway, and we'll see what you can do."

"Thank you," Jane said, grinning widely though still harbouring disbelief at this offer, and, tipping his cap to them both, the first mate returned to the bridge.

Ann and Jane soon discovered that the Captain hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said their cabin was small. The cousins would have been willing to share the small bed, if they could have both fit in the narrow bunk. Instead, Jane slept on the floor, with cushions and blankets piled around her so she wouldn't roll around too much. It was hardly the most comfortable of arrangements, and the Englishwoman was lucky to get the three hours' sleep that she managed.

She and her cousin were the only passengers glad of the porridge served to them for breakfast. After living on an income like theirs for a good few years, any food they could get was welcome, and Jane finished hers quickly just as Mr. Hayes came down for his helping.

He greeted them both warmly, but, as had been the case yesterday evening, soon devoted his attention to Jane.

"Are you busy, Miss Bennet?" he asked, and she shook her head quickly in reply. "Then how would you like to join the Captain and myself on the bridge?"

"That would be wonderful," she told him instantly.

"Great. Thanks, Lumpy," he added quietly, taking a second bowl from the ship's cook. "Come on then."

And, casting a brief smile over her shoulder to Ann, Jane followed him out of the galley.

She followed the first mate up through the complex maze of passageways of the Venture, passing countless members of the crew, many of whom were still bleary-eyed from their early rise. Hayes balanced the two porridge bowls skilfully on one arm to open doors, and quickly led her up on to deck. She caught her breath quickly as they came out into the early morning sunlight, and her companion glanced at her quickly over his shoulder.

"Miss Bennet?"

She didn't say anything at first, but walked slowly to the railing and looked out over the ocean with an expression of pure joy on her face.

"It's been a long time since I was at sea like this," she said softly at length. "I'd quite forgotten how much I love it." She paused, breathing in deeply the salty sea air. "It's beautiful."

Hayes smiled. It wasn't often that he witnessed displays like this on a ship like the Venture, but he felt inclined to agree with the young woman. It was only three hours after sunrise, and the golden rays glimmered on the blue-green waves like shafts of gold pouring down from the heavens. Jane voiced this thought aloud, before turning to her companion.

"Don't you think so?"

He grinned. "I guess, though I'm not quite so poetic as that."

They climbed the steep steps to the bridge, and Jane caught sight of the Captain stood at the wheel.

"Good morning, Miss Bennet," he said, and tipped his cap to her in greeting, but could not stretch to a smile.

"Morning, Captain," she returned shyly. This man carried an air about him that made her nervous, as though he were judging everything she did.

He took the bowl Hayes had brought him and left the wheel, settling himself in a chair in the small room behind it, beside a map table and a tall bookcase. His piercing blue eyes lingered on her briefly, before he diverted his attention to his breakfast.

"So," he said between mouthfuls, "Bennett, Ryder and Co?"

She nodded. She remained stood by the door, and had begun to wonder whether it would be too much for either sailor to offer her a seat, before Mr. Hayes pulled one out for her. She sat down slowly, thanking him.

"That's a good company," the Captain continued.

"Was," she corrected.

He must have noticed the twinge of sadness in her voice, and quickly decided not to pursue to subject any further. "Mr. Hayes here expects you to be some sort of expert navigator, I believe," he continued, glancing at the man beside him.

"Not quite my words, Englehorn." The seamen's eyes met briefly, but Hayes turned back to her. "I told you about the second mate, Green," he explained, "And I thought, seeing as you're not doing anything in particular on this voyage, maybe we could add to your nautical knowledge so you can take his place until we get back to New York."

Jane stared in amazement, and, to her even greater surprise, so did Englehorn.

"_We_?" he repeated.

"Or not." Hayes spoke again to the Captain in a low voice. "I thought you agreed to see how this works. You know we need the help."

Both pairs of eyes turned back to Jane, who couldn't remember feeling more awkward or uncomfortable in a long time.

"How much do you know, then?" Englehorn asked, sighing deeply.

As the men ate, Jane told them all her father had taught her. Hayes wore an expression of constant optimism, though it was clear to her from the beginning that the skipper was entirely sceptical of her abilities, and that it would take a great display of talent to get even the smallest of responses. He soon returned to the wheel as the first mate went through the process of plotting a course on the map.

"There you go," Hayes said encouragingly as she finished. "Not bad for a first attempt, not bad at all."

Englehorn leant over the map himself, quickly taking in her calculations. "Not bad?" he asked.

"Come on, Captain, she's only a couple of degrees off mine."

"The difference being, if we took the route she planned, we'd end up in Western Africa."

Jane's hopeful face fell, but Englehorn seemed oblivious. "Look," he motioned to her scribbled notes, "Nowhere near accurate enough." And, taking up the compasses, he set about plotting the course himself, quickly and efficiently carrying out the task that had taken the young Englishwoman a good fifteen minutes.

"And that's how it's done," he said as he finished.

Now Jane leant over the map, while the skipper went back to the wheel with a smug smile on his face. Her green eyes drifted over his calculations, comparing them to her own. She knew it was unfair of him to criticise her so strongly on her first attempt, but couldn't help the shame that built up inside her as she took in the numbers he had written down. Suddenly, she felt a burst of triumph as her untrained eyes settled on an obvious mistake.

"Captain, are you sure about this answer?"

Englehorn glanced at her suspiciously over his shoulder. "What answer?"

"This one right here. I'm not sure your calculations are quite correct."

Hayes' eyes flitted over the numbers she pointed to and a grin stretched across his face. The Captain looked too, not nearly so smug now as he realised his mistake.

"It is a simple error," he said quickly, "It's not important."

"Sure, Englehorn," Hayes said, "You're just out by a couple of degrees. We'd only end up in Antarctica."

The skipper said nothing more, not denying his mistake but not confessing it either. For a fleeting moment, he caught Jane's eye, and she saw a strange expression in his bright blues. Shame, very briefly, and then another she barely recognised as admiration. Was it possible that she had impressed or embarrassed him so much that he had to hide it?

"You humiliate me, Miss Bennet," he said eventually, a smile now spreading across his features too.

"It's Jane," she corrected, mirroring his grin.

"What do you say, Captain?" Hayes asked. "Do we train her?"

Englehorn shook his head. "_We_ don't," he answered, "But _you_ do." He paused, going back to his place at the helm. "After all, there's no room for inaccuracy when it comes to calculations like those."

* * *

**1938**

Jane smiled into the darkness of her bedroom, reminiscing happily. Then, with her beloved son in her arms and pleasant memories of his father still in her head, she slowly fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Hopefully you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Please review, and thanks if you did for the previous chapter!

the green lama

_p.s._ In case you're wondering and haven't figured it out yet, this is going to be EnglehornOC all the way through, though maybe with a little bit of Ann/Jack later.


	3. Chapter 3: A Change of Course

**Chapter III: A Change of Course**

**1938**

Jane wrapped her coat tightly around her with a sigh as she walked. It was mid-April, but it seemed New York was not quite ready for her summer wardrobe just yet. Her son scampered along just ahead of her, and she watched him carefully.

"Freddie!" she called. "Don't get too far ahead!"

The small boy was oblivious, too caught up in the dogfight he was currently staging between his toy aeroplanes.

"Freddie!"

Jane quickened her pace to keep close to him, eventually reaching down to take hold of his hand.

"Mummy!" he exclaimed. "How can the British plane win when you're holding it in your hand?"

His young face was the picture of dismay, but she smiled warmly. "The battle will simply have to be postponed till we reach the park," she told him.

"You can't stop in the middle of a fight!" he exclaimed.

"Why not? Surely I've told you of the Christmas cease-fire of 1914? The British soldiers and their German counterparts came out of the trenches into No Man's Land to spend Christmas Day together."

Freddie simply gave her a blank look, too young to understand fully, and said no more to his mother, preferring to continue the battle.

Leading him by the hand, Jane eventually brought her son to Central Park, and he played contentedly on the grass while she watched him from a bench.

"Look, mummy!"

Freddie flew a small wooden plane through the air in his hand and managed to collide with a stranger. Jane's heart skipped a beat: the man's blonde hair colour and tall build seemed strangely familiar. But no, he turned round to hear Freddie's apology and revealed a face she did not recognise. He ruffled Freddie's hair with a smile, saying, "That's alright, kid," but Jane sighed deeply.

_What a fool you are, Jane Bennet! _She thought to herself. _The very sight of his hair colour is enough to remind you of him!_

Unbidden, images of the German Captain of the Venture swiftly appeared in her head, and before long, she was completely lost among her memories.

* * *

**1933**

Before even a week had passed at sea, Hayes' training of Jane began to pay off. By now, she could plot co-ordinates with almost the ease and efficiency of her tutor and the Captain, and had learnt all of the basics of running a ship like the Venture. Englehorn even began to show vague inclinations of friendliness towards her, which, the first mate assured her, was not a side of him many people saw.

When she wasn't on the bridge, Jane would often watch her cousin in action doing what she did best. Ann had been delighted to meet Jack Driscoll. The Englishwoman also enjoyed his company, and it was clear to her from the beginning that the playwright had fallen head-over-heels in love with the heroine of his story, and she with him. Jane watched them together at breakfast on their fourteenth day of sailing.

"Morning, all," Jack greeted them as he entered the galley. Ann said nothing, but flashed him an enchanting smile, and Jane couldn't help but smirk at the dreamy, wistful expression that appeared in his eyes.

"What's that you've got there, Jack?" she asked, noticing the dog-eared book he was holding.

"This," he began, "Is a little gem I found being used to wedge a cage door shut in the hold."

He held up the old volume, and she could just make out the faded gold lettering on the red cover: _'The Merchant of Venice'_

"Shakespeare!" she exclaimed. "And one of his best, too."

She took the book and began to flip through the pages. They were damp, in places, often stained by she knew not which mysterious substances, and even smelled slightly after its time among the animal enclosures, but Jane didn't care. This was a treasure of a find indeed on a ship like this.

"I love Portia's famous speech," she said softly.

" '_The quality of mercy is not strained_,' " Jack began, showing he did too, " '_it droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven upon the place beneath._' "

Jane smiled, continuing the speech. " '_It is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives, and him that takes._' "

Then another voice spoke. " '_'Tis mightiest in the mightiest, it becomes the thronèd monarch better than his crown._' "

Jane's face was the image of amazement as she recognised the familiar voice of the Captain. A rare smile lingered on Englehorn's features as he took the play from the bemused Englishwoman's hand and flicked through it.

"Where did you find this?" he asked.

"In the hold," Jack answered, "But I had no idea it was yours. I do apologise."

"I lost this months ago," Englehorn continued, seeming not to hear.

"I had no idea you were a fan of my dear William," Jane said with a smile, and he caught her eye briefly.

"People are not always what they seem."

And, with no more to say than this, he lay the book on the table, took a bowl of porridge from Lumpy and left the galley.

Jane, however, was intrigued, and picked up on the subject when next she was alone with the Captain, a long two weeks later.

"How did you get your copy of the play, then?" she asked, sitting in the wheelhouse.

The Captain stood at the door, watching the scene currently being filmed on deck. "Hayes recommended it," he answered. "Back when I could barely speak English, he suggested I read these to help me learn." Going to the bookshelf, he pulled out another small volume like the one Jack had found. '_The Tempest_', read the title on this one. "I bought both of them for less than a dollar in New York years ago. I never really understood or liked them, but parts stick in your mind."

"Talk about being thrown in at the deep end," Jane remarked as he handed it to her.

"What do you mean?"

"Most native English speakers can't understand this form of the language." She paused, smiling fondly down at the familiar text. "I loved acting at school," she told him, "And once, to my great delight, I was selected to play Miranda in our production of this." She looked happier than Englehorn had ever seen her to dwell on such memories, but looked set to quote from the play again, so he quickly took it from her. She still had a chance to catch a glimpse of the name scribbled in the inside cover.

"F. Englehorn?" she repeated as he stowed the book away. "What does the 'F' stand for?"

"That is none of your business, Miss Bennet."

She sighed. "Captain," she began, "You may not wish to share your Christian name, but you are only person still not calling me by mine. Nobody calls me 'Miss Bennet' any more: it's Jane."

"Very well."

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by cheers as the film crew on deck finally finished the scene they'd been working on all morning, and Jane quickly went down to join her cousin.

"Miss Bennet?"

Jane started as the Captain addressed her suddenly. A week had passed since he'd shown her his copy of '_The Tempest_', and they were in the steering cabin with Mr. Hayes. She sighed, however; apparently pronouncing the name 'Jane' was too much for the skipper.

"We have yet to decide how much you will be paid," Englehorn told her.

She looked at him blankly. "Paid?"

"It is the usual practice for a Captain to pay his crew, and you are currently working for nothing but your meals."

She was both surprised and delighted to think of herself as part of the crew, and slightly disbelieving. "But I thought I was only temporary," she said.

He shrugged. "You're still a crewmember."

"I never realised," she said quietly. Hayes and the Captain exchanged glances upon hearing this. "But surely," she continued, "What you pay Mr. Green will suit me, seeing as it's his job I'm doing."

"Good." Englehorn said, and nothing more was said of the matter.

In fact, nothing was said at all for a full half an hour, until the Captain left for the galley to talk to Lumpy, and Hayes jumped at the opportunity to talk to Jane alone.

"This is unbelievable," he said.

She glanced at him in confusion. "What is?"

"Englehorn. I've rarely seen him like this around a woman." Jane still had no idea what the first mate meant, so simply looked at him blankly. Hayes grinned back at her. "I think someone likes you."

"What? The Captain?" She stared at him in disbelief, but they heard footsteps on the stairs, and Jimmy's head appeared round the door to ask for Hayes' help with something. Smirking at her, the first mate left the bridge, and she heard no more of his theory.

Weeks passed, time at sea flying by more quickly than Jane had thought possible. Whether she liked it or not, she couldn't forget about what Hayes had told her of the Captain, and, slowly, an enormous realisation hit her. She remembered the look she'd seen in his eyes as she'd caught hold of his arm, begging him for a place on the ship, then the same after she'd pointed out his mistake on her first day. Now she understood why she had not recognised his meaning: it was attraction, mingled with affection, and something she did not very often receive from men.

This knowledge both shocked Jane and confused her. She hardly knew how to react, and was not even certain Hayes' belief was true to begin with.

It was more than a month before she was alone with the Captain on the bridge again, and, for the first time she could remember, he was the first to start a conversation not out of necessity.

"Shouldn't you be in your cabin by now?" he asked her. It was almost midnight, the Venture was quiet, and it was Englehorn's shift in the wheelhouse. The last time she had seen him, Hayes had been playing cards with Lumpy, Choy and Jimmy below deck: a quiet game helped along by beer and cigarettes.

Jane shook her head. "I'm not tired." She looked out of the window over the dark sea, but could feel his gaze on her back. "Why, would you rather be alone?"

"I'm not unused to solitude, but that wasn't what I was asking."

"You're not usually one to show concern," she told him. "It's only natural for me to assume you meant something else."

He grinned. "Are you so surprised to find the smallest hint of kindness in my character?"

"To be honest, Englehorn, I'm surprised to find anything of your character." She smiled at him. "You've shown very little of it to me since I met you."

"I'm hardly the most open of people. For that you have Hayes."

This was true. Jane had developed a close bond of friendship with the first mate since he'd been appointed her teacher, and knew most of what there was to know about him, and vice versa.

"But what about you?" the Captain asked. "You've become my second mate, yet I know nothing about you but your name."

She half fancied she heard him emphasise 'my', but ignored it, or tried to. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"Only if you tell me about yourself afterwards," she said, smiling, and he nodded. She began.

"My name is Jane Heather Bennet, Heather after my late grandmother, I'm twenty-one years old, and I was born in Chelsea, London. My family was wealthy, thanks to my father's business, and I was sent to boarding school in Kent for eleven years, excluding holidays, of course, till I was sixteen. Two years after I left, when I was eighteen, my father was tragically killed in a boating accident on the Thames. I wasn't sad to lose him; I'd barely known him, having been at school mostly, and him being away to work in Southampton. However, he was a gambling man, and hadn't thought to pay off his debts, meaning my mother had to pay back what he owed out of her inheritance and mine. We had to sell our lovely Chelsea town house, instead moving into a horrible, dingy little North-London flat." She pulled a face in disgust at the mere memory of it, but continued.

"Just before I turned nineteen, my mother sent me away to America, to be with Ann in New York. Ann is the daughter of my father's sister, who moved to the same city as me twenty years before and married an American. Quickly, things got bad, both Ann's parents moved away to Chicago, she lost her job, and somehow we ended up on your ship."

She looked up and caught Englehorn's eyes, and was almost shocked to see pity in them. "It's an eventful life for a woman just past twenty," he said, but she shook her head.

"It could have been worse, I can't complain." She paused. "And now it's your turn."

He sighed in frustration. "There's nothing to tell, believe me."

"We made a bargain, Captain. You'd be a liar if you didn't hold to it." He didn't say anything. "Your name, at least?"

"Frederick," he said at length. "Frederick Englehorn. But to you, I'm Captain Englehorn."

She smiled; the name suited him, she thought. "And you're from Germany?"

"I was born in a small town in the south west of Germany, but we moved to Berlin a couple of months after my birth. Like yours, my family was wealthy, and during the Great War, as you call it, I became a pilot. It didn't suit me, so I joined the navy, and was soon promoted to become a U-boat commander in the Atlantic." He caught her eye. "Yes, I spent two and a half years of my life sinking ships carrying food supplies to your homeland.

"Just before the end of the war, I was made an officer of the German Navy and posted to a battleship in the Atlantic, where I'd been before, but it didn't last. The war ended soon, many of our ships were destroyed under the terms of your treaty, and I was one of the thousands to lose my job. I wanted to get away from Germany, so I bought a place on a ship going to Norway, where I found the Venture in dock. I joined this crew, and worked my way up quickly, becoming first mate. Before the last Captain died, he gave me the Captaincy. I've held it all this time, and hopefully will do for many years to come."

Jane didn't say anything. She had always supposed Englehorn to have been some way involved in the Great War, but would never have guessed him to have been so high ranking. Also, her father's business through wartime had sailed supply ships to America, and had lost several. It was likely that the man opposite her now was responsible for some of those losses.

"Have I shocked you?" he asked, grinning.

"Yes," she confessed, "Though I half expected such a story."

"You did ask for it."

She caught his eye wordlessly, and saw the familiar look that had haunted her thoughts for weeks. This time, however, Englehorn made no effort to conceal it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"Like what?" The Captain's blue eyes sparkled mischievously, and Jane suddenly felt rather weak at the knees.

She said nothing, but she realised in that moment that Mr. Hayes had been right in his suspicions. It also slowly dawned on her why Englehorn always made her nervous. Now, with him looking more handsome than she usually realised, she felt it more than ever.

Leaning forward, he tucked a stray stand of hair behind her ear, and a shiver ran down her spine as his rough fingertips brushed her cheek.

"Captain!"

He swore under his breath and got to his feet quickly as the voice of Syd Gilmour, the radio operator reached their ears. Soon, the man himself appeared in the doorway.

"This is for you, Cap'n," he said, handing his superior a scrap of paper. On it was scribbled a cryptic series of dots and dashes Jane quickly recognised as Morse code. She didn't know what the message said, but Englehorn's face darkened as he read it.

"Fetch Hayes," he said quietly.

"Aye, sir," Gilmour said, and hurried away to do so.

"What is it, Captain?" Jane asked.

It seemed Hayes had already been on his way up to the bridge, as he arrived almost as soon as she had spoken, and Englehorn handed him the paper.

"What're you going to do?" the first mate asked as he finished reading it.

"Obey, of course," Englehorn answered. "What else can I do?" He went to the wheel, taking the worn wooden handles in his hands. "Set a course for Rangoon, Mr. Hayes."

"What's going on?" Jane asked, baffled by what was happening around her.

"There's a warrant out for Denham's arrest," Englehorn explained. "We've been ordered to divert to Rangoon."

"His _arrest_?"

"Didn't you know he was a criminal? He stole his camera and equipment from a film studio, but of course it was only a couple of weeks into the voyage that we found this out."

It was not long before Carl himself arrived at the door. "Why are we changing course?" he asked anxiously. "Englehorn? What are you doing?"

"Outside." The Captain proceeded to lead Denham out on to deck, and Jane watched them argue through the cabin windows. Carl's face was the image of despair and dismay as he begged another week to make his film, but Englehorn stood firm, and quickly returned to the cabin as Driscoll joined Carl on the deck below.

Jane watched the Captain return to the wheel, and his expression morphed from anger into confusion.

"What is it?" she asked. He nodded towards the compass, and her eyebrows raised to see the needle spinning erratically.

"Check our position, Hayes," the Captain said quietly. "Use the stars."

Jane's eyes followed the first mate out of the cabin, and she saw him gazing up to the sky, motionless. Receiving no answer, Englehorn looked up, and Hayes reappeared at the door, his face grave.

"There are no stars, Captain."

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, this was long! I got a little carried away! All of the stuff about Shakespeare was inspired by an RSC production of the Tempest I went to see a couple of weeks ago. It was amazing, and Patrick Stewart was fantastic as Prospero! Anyway, a review will make my day - a nice early Christmas pressie! Thanks for reading and reviewing, if you already have,

the green lama :)


	4. Chapter 4: The Picture Book

**Chapter IV: The Picture Book**

**1938**

Jane tucked up her son in his bed with a fond smile. His eyelids were already drooping, and he yawned, looking adorable as he did this as only young children can, and earned a kiss on the forehead from his mother.

"Where's Max?" he asked. Jane smiled and handed him the teddy in question, which was soon hugged tightly in his arms.

"Goodnight, Freddie," she said, stroking his soft blonde hair.

"'Night, mum," he murmured in reply, and almost instantaneously dropped off to sleep.

His mother smiled affectionately, and, after kissing her son's forehead again gently, left the room silently.

A deep sigh escaped from her lips as her eyes drifted over the space before her. Freddie had managed, as usual, to spread out his toys as much as he possibly could, and, also as usual, had left them there for his mother to tidy up.

Picking up his wooden toy box, Jane began the long task, filling it with toys of all shapes and sizes. She then opened the kitchen door, and groaned to discover that the mess spread even into there. Putting down the box, she picked up a picture book that lay open on the table, but froze as she realised what it showed.

'_The Adventurers_', read the caption, and the picture was of a lush green jungle, full of colourful and bizarre animals, in the midst of which was a party of these so-called adventurers, brave and cheerful as everything is in children's books. The bright blue sea could be seen in the distance, as well as a small steamer.

Jane's hand raised to her mouth in shock, and her legs carried her through to the living room, where she collapsed into an armchair. She gazed at the picture in a daze, as the scene it depicted was startlingly familiar.

* * *

**1933**

"She's gone."

For a moment, there was silence among the crew of the Venture. Most of the seamen and their passengers were in the heart of the native village on Skull Island. It was just gone six o'clock in the evening, and Ann had just disappeared.

Jack hopped down the last few steps and looked to Carl, who walked slowly away from the enormous gate with a dazed expression on his face.

"What was it, Carl?" Jack asked. "Did you see anything?"

It was clear that he had, but the filmmaker shook his head slowly. "Nothing," he said. "I was too late."

Jane stood by Hayes' side, and he quickly caught hold of her arm to support her as her legs gave way. Tears that had been slowly welling up in her eyes now spilled down her cheeks, and, distraught, she buried her face in the first mate's shoulder, one of his arms wrapped around her in comfort and support.

Ann was all she had, and now she was gone.

"We've got to find her!" Jack exclaimed. "We have to go now."

Englehorn nodded and glanced at Hayes. He didn't have to say anything for his message to get across, and the American nodded. "I'll go," he confirmed quietly.

"You'll take Hayes, and fifteen others," the Captain announced, more to Jack than anyone, whose eyes clearly displayed his gratitude.

Within ten minutes, fifteen crewmen had volunteered, and supplies of all kinds had swiftly been brought from the ship.

"You've got guns, you've got food, and you've got ammo," Englehorn called to the men assembled. "You've got twenty-four hours."

Bruce Baxter loudly expressed his discomfort at such a short time, but received only a stern glance in reply. Jane, who had been mostly left to herself in the chaos, stood by the gate to watch them go. Hayes approached her, and he proceeded to embrace her warmly.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"To say good bye to a great friend," he said.

"You sound like you don't expect to come back."

He didn't reply to this, but kissed her cheek affectionately.

"And that?" she asked.

He grinned. "That was to make Englehorn jealous."

Jane smiled through her tears. "You were right, you know. I realised last night."

"Of course I was right. Believe me, I've seen the Captain around women, and I know when he likes one."

Smiling sadly, she now kissed his cheek.

"And what was that for?" he asked.

She hugged him fondly in reply. "To say goodbye to a great friend," she whispered in his ear, repeating what he had said to her.

Then the search party left, and Jane watched her companion and tutor quickly disappear into the jungle, silently praying for the safety of both him and her cousin.

"What was that about?" The familiar voice of the Captain disturbed her peace, tinged with anger and frustration.

"What was what about?"

"You and Hayes. There's something going on between the two of you, isn't there?"

Hayes' plan had worked, and Jane almost laughed out loud: men were so predictable. "What's it to you?" she asked, trying not to smile.

"I'd rather not have the first mate of my ship in love with the second."

_What about the _Captain_ in love with the second mate?_ Jane would have liked to ask, but decided to keep this to herself.

"Who said anything about us being in love?" she asked instead. "And what would be so bad about that anyway?"

"It would cause problems."

"Like what?" Englehorn didn't say anything. "I'm listening."

"You women are all the same," he muttered.

"And so are you men," Jane reasoned. "The moment Hayes shows any affection for me you come over all protective. Why is that, Captain?"

He caught her eye, his face cold and stern. "Figure it out. We've got twenty four hours to wait – get thinking."

The skipper left her now to see to his men, and she stared after him in indignation. Even the slightest inclination of attraction or romance would have been greatly appreciated, as would comfort or sympathy: after all, her beloved cousin had been recently kidnapped, then carried off by she knew not what terrible creature.

Sighing in frustration, Jane picked up one of the machine guns left over, and climbed the stairs that Jack had not too long ago. If she was going to receive no comfort from those of the crew left behind, then she would find a spot from which she could watch for Hayes' return with Ann, and she settled down on the bamboo stake platform, the gun in her lap.

Not fifteen minutes had passed before she heard the men shouting for her, and she allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. Thinking he had lost her would serve Englehorn right for being so angry with her. The Captain himself found her quickly, however.

"You shouldn't wander off by yourself, Miss Bennet," he told her.

"I hardy wandered far, did I?"

He noticed the coldness in her voice, but sat down beside her with a sigh. "I'm only concerned for your safety," he told her.

"So much so that you can't possibly permit Hayes to come anywhere near me?"

"Look," he began, "I'm sorry I got so angry with you. I was frustrated." He paused. "It's not every day one of your passengers goes missing."

"It's not every day my cousin goes missing, either, but now she has a little sympathy wouldn't go much amiss."

Englehorn groaned. "Why are you so angry with me?" he asked. "I've sent out a search party for her, I don't know what else I can do. I even apologised to you, and yet all you do is rebuke me and complain that I'm not doing enough."

"It's been a trying day," Jane said, "I think I can be permitted a respite from civility."

"Do you think you're the only one? My ship, my livelihood is currently only just afloat after being stuck on rocks and badly damaged hundreds of miles from any civilisation that I know of. Don't you think I, too, deserve a little sympathy?"

There was silence, suddenly. Neither Jane nor the Captain had realised how much their voices had risen. The young woman didn't say anything, feeling slightly guilty upon hearing Englehorn's words. She realised now that she had been selfish.

The Captain got to his feet and walked to the edge of the platform. His arms were folded and his back to her, but she could sense his anger.

"I'm sorry, Frederick," she said softly. "You're right: I am being unreasonable."

He turned to her with a smile. "It's funny," he began, "I'm sure I told you to call me Captain."

"And I'm sure I told you to call me Jane."

She caught his gaze, and held it for a few seconds. There was that look again, the hint of affection in his sparkling blue eyes.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" she asked.

He smiled. "Because you keep looking at me like you are now."

"Like what?"

He only shook his head mysteriously before changing the subject. "You should get some rest."

"That's not answering my question."

"You've barely slept for two days."

"I'm not tired. Besides, it's hardly safe here."

"I'll watch over you, don't worry."

She froze. "You will?" She couldn't conceal her smile. To her ears, his words sounded like a declaration of love. She got to her feet to stand closer to him. He looked into her eyes and Jane's heart melted. She knew for certain now that she liked him. In fact, she was on the verge of being madly in love.

"Who wouldn't want to take care of you?" he asked.

That did it. She gave into gravity and fell from the brink, deep in love with the Captain.

Englehorn seemed to know, and his fingers slotted through her own, giving them an affectionate squeeze. "Good night, Jane."

And he went back down the steps to his crew.

The young Englishwoman sighed deeply as he went and gazed after him in astonishment.

_If ever there was a perfect opportunity for a man to kiss a woman_, she thought, _that was it._

"Miss Bennet, wake up."

Jane slowly became aware that her shoulders were being gently shaken. She didn't open her eyes, but could tell by the stony ground she lay on that she was no longer aboard the Venture.

"Jane."

Her eyes finally snapped open, and they focused on the familiar, handsome features of the Captain.

"Englehorn?" She rubbed her eyes and yawned, blinking sleepily in the bright sunlight of what she now recognised as Skull Island. "How long I have been sleeping?"

A small smile played on his lips. "Only sixteen hours."

"What?" She sat up quickly and looked at the native village around her. She soon noticed the distinct lack of the search party. Her hopeful face fell. "And they still haven't returned?"

"Not all of them, anyway."

She glanced at Englehorn in confusion. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Mr. Baxter got back ten minutes ago, along with several other deserters. It appears Mr. Hayes' party are in danger, so our dear actor has insisted on a rescue mission."

"Bruce said that?" she asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"I think he has a guilty conscience."

She followed the Captain's gaze and caught sight of Baxter, attempting to look the hero. He pulled it off, for the most part, with his head held high and a machine gun in his hands, but his face told a different story.

Grinning, Jane glanced back at Englehorn and caught his eye. "Definitely."

"We're setting out after them anyway," he told her, "And you're coming."

"Do I have a choice in the matter?"

He got to his feet. "You have two options: the first, the remain with the four men I'm leaving behind to guard the gate, and the second, to come with me into the jungle where you will be under my protection."

_He wanted to protect her._ The very thought sent Jane's heart into a flutter, and after this, the sight of him standing before her made it difficult to remain in control. In all her life, Jane had never seen a man even remotely like Englehorn, and seeing him in all his unkempt, unshaven glory first thing in the morning was quite the best view she'd had in a while.

Trying not to swoon, she offered him a hand and he pulled her to her feet.

"I'm with you, Captain."

* * *

A/N: Hopefully you'll enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it! Please review and let me know what you think! Oh, and Merry Christmas, everybody!

the green lama


	5. Chapter 5: Bedtime Story

**Chapter V: Bedtime Story**

**1938**

It had all been a dream. Her adventures on Skull Island had taken place years ago, and had come back to her now in her sleep. Jane realised this with a vague sense of dismay as she was shaken awake by Frederick Englehorn junior, instead of his father. She looked around her at the still untidy living room of her New York apartment and sighed. She had fallen asleep in her chair; the book still open in her lap that had stirred her dream of the past.

"What are you doing, mum?" Freddie asked, smiling sweetly. "Didn't you sleep in your bed?"

"I must have been too tired," she said, returning his smile, and he giggled innocently.

"You're still dressed!" he exclaimed. "You must have been very tired indeed!"

Yawning, Jane scooped up her pride and joy in her arms and carried him through to the kitchen, depositing him on the stool he named 'the breakfast seat'.

"What will it be zis morning, sir?" she asked, putting on the accent of a French waiter she had once been served by in an expensive restaurant back in London.

"My usual, please, Pierre!" Freddie said, laughing in delight. The French waiter game was one of his favourite ways to start the day.

"Of course, monsieur. Today, you shall sample ze best toast zis side of Paris!"

And she set about cutting the bread and toasting it, pouring out a small glass of orange juice for her son.

"Will you tell me a story, mum?" Freddie inquired. He still held onto the picture book, and pointed to the picture of the adventurers in the jungle.

"A story?" Jane was a writer by profession, and a good one at that, hence the relatively comfortable living she could afford. She knew the young boy enjoyed very little more than one of her stories. "Very well, then," she said.

Freddie cheered. "Tell me about the people in the jungle!" he commanded, holding up the colourful image for her to see, and she began to formulate the story in her mind. Hardly surprisingly, it bore a rather strong resemblance to a certain chapter in her own history.

* * *

**1933**

The jungle of Skull Island was an extraordinary place. The trees were oddly shaped, enough so to drive any botanist wild with excitement, and long serpentine vines hung down from the branches over their path. Jane jumped frequently as they brushed the top of her head, much to the merriment of the men behind her, as well as the Captain leading them.

Englehorn was constantly glancing over his shoulder, checking the safety of his men and new second mate. It had not taken them long to realise that the natives of the island were by no means the most unusual creatures they would come across on their adventures. Perhaps it was the giant mosquitoes that had created this belief, or the plate-sized spider that had frightened Jane out of her wits.

"Horrible creature," she muttered, shuddering at the memory of the enormous, yellow-orange arachnid.

The Captain grinned at her over his shoulder. "I think your shriek as you saw it told us that," he laughed. "It was only a spider."

"Did you see the size of the bloody thing?" A hint of the cockney accent of her home came out in her panic. "If I see another one," she began, "I might just have a mental break-down."

"That's a shame," he replied, "I can see one from here."

Jane froze, and, following his gaze, let out a quiet cry of terror as she saw the creature at the heart of its gigantic web in a tree. She clutched Englehorn's arm subconsciously in fear.

"And look, there are two more." He pointed with his gun up into the trees to their right, and she clung to him all the tighter. Suddenly, looking around her, she became aware, to her horror, that these three were not all that could be seen.

"They're everywhere!" she exclaimed.

The Captain glanced upwards at the canopy above their heads. "Don't look up," he told her quickly.

Of course, she had to after hearing this, and, doing so, saw hundreds of the spiders with their webs spun directly over their path. "Oh, God," she whispered. "I think I'll take my chances with the natives."

She had always known that her fear of small house spiders at home in England was completely irrational, but had always been unnerved upon finding one's web spun over her bed. Now, with the size of these monsters, she experienced a horrible feeling, as if her insides were shrivelling up and her throat swelling. She felt shaky all of a sudden, her eyes didn't want to blink, and her legs refused to move. It was as if her body would not let her turn her back on the spiders for even a moment.

"Come on," Englehorn said, glancing back at her.

"I… can't." Her voice was shrill, and he saw in her eyes that she meant what she said. "What if there are more of them further in?" she asked.

Sighing, he wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear. "Think of your cousin. I bet she's had to contend with worse than this."

Jane shook her head, however. "Believe me, I speak for Ann and myself when I say we'd both take her experiences as oppose to this, no matter how bad they are."

Englehorn said nothing more, but leant towards her and kissed her cheek softly. "Come on," he said again, and this time she moved when he tried to steer her through the trees. Jane was still fear-stricken, but after this kiss there was a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, and she felt strong enough to take on all the spiders on the face of the earth. Or almost all of them, anyway.

The fifteen minutes of trekking through the spiders' lair, as Jane would later name it, felt to her like centuries. As Englehorn announced that he couldn't see any more, she felt a great weight lift off her shoulders.

"Well done, Jane," the Captain said softly, and she won another kiss, this time on the forehead, for her bravery.

As he drew back his arm, however, they heard a suspicious crackling noise in the foliage behind them. It was unusually distinct in the still, humid air of the jungle. The sailors froze, and Jane met Englehorn's eyes briefly.

"What is it?" she asked as he peered into the bushes. She received no answer. "Well," she whispered to him, "So long as it's not a giant spider, I'm fine."

"Shh…" Englehorn pulled her behind him, raising his machine gun to point in the direction the sound had come from.

Suddenly, a scaly leg protruded from the leaves, and Jane jumped back in shock. This limb was quickly followed by a long nose, a second leg, and a pair of gleaming reptilian eyes. Nobody moved, and the creature, a large lizard of at least eight feet in length emerged fully from the bushes, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Get outta here!" Bruce yelled at it.

Then another sound reached their ears, a louder cracking sound, coming from the same direction. Jane's eyes widened in fear. Whatever was coming towards them was big: this was snapping whole branches off, by the sound of things, not just twigs.

The lizard scampered away quickly, and they watched it disappear into the trees in amazement, before all but Bruce looked back in the direction of the new sound apprehensively, edging away slowly. The actor seemed not to have noticed his companions' anxiety.

"Would you look at that? We scared him off!" Letting out a cocky, defiant laugh, he shot a couple of rounds into the air.

"Stop!" Jane hissed, but she was too late. The sounds in the trees stopped.

"Get ready to run," Englehorn whispered to her. She looked at him in horror, but already the sound of heavy footfalls could be heard again, only more quickly.

Suddenly, they caught sight of it: a gigantic dinosaur, green and brown in colour, with an enormous jaw making up for its tiny arms. Catching sight of them, it opened its mouth slightly to display rows of sharp, gleaming teeth.

Jane opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. It came towards them quickly now, breaking into a jog, and Englehorn grabbed her arm.

"Run!" he yelled, and the crew didn't need telling twice. They scattered wildly, firing over their shoulders as they dived through any gaps they could find in the trees.

The creature roared, and Jane was sure she felt the ground beneath her vibrate. She ran like mad, completely unaware of where she was putting her feet or even how many spiders there were in the undergrowth rushing by. All she could hear was their pursuer; all she could feel was the shaking of the earth as its heavy feet fell. Her face was scratched by stray twigs and mud splattered up the back of her bare legs and her skirt as it flew out behind her, but she was oblivious. Her shoes were only light pumps, and she soon envied the sturdy boots and long trousers of the seamen around her.

It was not long before they heard the sickening crunch of bones, ripping of flesh and heart-rending scream that told them the carnivore had caught up with its first victim. It did not give up the chase however, and soon Jane had a painful stitch in her side. She was by no means a natural sprinter, and soon fell behind Englehorn.

"Captain!" she yelled. "Frederick, help me!"

"Jane!" He caught hold of the hand she held out to him and pulled her along behind him, allowing her to catch up with him but not slow down. "Keep going!" he yelled.

"I can't!" she moaned breathlessly, but he forced her on, shouting at her not to stop.

Suddenly they came out into a wide valley, and Jane gazed in wonder at the sight before her. Already, they were running under the legs of a colossal Brontosaurus, and as they came out they saw countless more of the creatures. They seemed elegant and peaceful at first, but a tremor of panic ran through the herd as the predator burst forth from the trees, and they too joined the chase.

Jane's thoughts went back briefly to visiting London's Natural History Museum as a child, and looking at the skeletons of creatures like these, thought to have been extinct for thousands of years. These, however, were not ancient relics. These dinosaurs were very much alive, and very much frightening.

She kept running, pulled along by the Captain, though it pained her now to draw breath. Thankfully, the appearance of other prey seemed to have drawn the carnivore's attention from the seamen and herself.

Ahead of them, she suddenly glimpsed a split in the rock of a tall cliff face. _A cave!_ It appeared her guide had seen it too, as he now led them towards it, shouting to his men to follow. Those of them left alive that heard did so.

They grew nearer to it quickly, but Jane groaned as they did, weaving their way through the stampeding beasts. Their great weight shook everything, and small rocks at first fell from the cliff face, until soon whole boulders toppled to the ground.

Englehorn led her inside swiftly, but she felt a sharp burst of pain in her head and everything went black.

* * *

**1938**

Freddie gazed at his mother with wide eyes, quite literally on the edge of his seat in excitement.

"And?" he asked eagerly. "What happened next?"

Jane smiled and stroked her son's blonde hair affectionately. "Well, our heroine came round quickly, and all of the men were safe in the cave, of course," she told him, "And soon after this, the adventurers made peace with the dinosaurs. They all agreed never again to attempt to eat or shoot one another, and they all lived happily on the island, for the rest of their days."

The young boy before her clapped his hands in delight at this fairy tale ending. "That's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "I wish I could make friends with a big dinosaur!" And he jumped down from his stool and stomped around the room, roaring and hissing at his mother like the creatures she had seen so many of.

Jane laughed, though of course the real ending to the story was not quite so idealistic as this.

Then, however, the smell of burning reached their nostrils.

"Oh, Christ! The toast!"

* * *

**1933**

As Jane slowly regained consciousness, the first thing she became aware of was a throbbing pain in her head, and she let out a low moan.

"Jane!"

Immediately, she heard a voice she recognised as the Captain's. Opening her eyes slowly, she gradually focused on his face, in which relief and affection could be clearly seen.

"Frederick?" she asked weakly.

"Yes, I'm here. How do you feel?"

"Dreadful."

"You've been out cold for half an hour."

"Really?" she groaned and shut her eyes again. "This hurts," she murmured, raising one hand to the spot on her forehead that the pain seemed to come from.

"I know," he said. "You were hit by a falling rock. Thankfully, it wasn't a big one, and you didn't bleed too much." He paused. "You're lucky to be alive, you know," he told her quietly, so the crewmembers around them did not hear. "For a little while, I thought I'd lost you."

She opened her eyes and looked into his. Any pain she felt seemed to ebb quickly away, as in his clear blue eyes, she unmistakably saw love. She sat up, and he instantly wrapped his arm around her shoulders in support. Somehow, she suddenly felt ready to take on anything Skull Island could throw at her.

"We need to move on," Englehorn told her softly. "We've lost a lot of ground, and Hayes' party are still out there."

She nodded. "I'll try not to be too much of a hindrance to you," she said, but he only smiled.

"Don't worry about it."

They set off quickly, out of the cave and back into the hazardous open, Jane still supported by Englehorn. Amazingly, they ran into no more carnivorous reptiles, and it was not half an hour before they heard gunfire.

"This way!" the skipper called, leading his party on swiftly. He stopped short, however, as he came to the edge of a deep, dark ravine, the bottom of which they could barely see.

They could hear men shouting. Jack's voice was instantly recognisable, as was Jimmy's, but they could make out no more. Jane let out a low moan of despair as her eyes took in the sides of the ravine: they were swarming with enormous insects, many far too arachnid-esque for comfort. She could see cockroaches that looked to be ten feet long, and scorpions with stings the size of her head.

"Get back, Jane!" Englehorn told her, and she willingly obeyed. He then opened fire on the swarms of grotesque creatures, and his fellow seamen didn't need telling to follow his example. Bruce Baxter, to her amazement, hurled himself off the edge, hanging on to a long vine for dear life, yelling at the top of his voice and looking more heroic than anyone had ever thought possible as he swung through the air.

The bugs dropped from the walls of the ravine at an alarming rate, and, peeping over the edge, Jane began to wonder how the people at the bottom would avoid being crushed under the falling bodies. She could see them now, or some of them anyway. Jimmy's blue shirt stuck out like a sore thumb, and she could make out Jack and Carl Denham nearby.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

Englehorn didn't hear her over the noise of his gun, but she took didn't notice, too distracted by the stance he had suddenly taken. He stood tall, his face was stern, and there was a militaristic air about him. Never before had his time in the German Navy been more obvious, and he had taken Jane quite by surprise.

Turning her eyes away, she saw two crewmembers pulling Baxter back up, and others lowering more vines for those at the bottom. Denham and Jimmy were pulled up quickly, sweaty and muddy, the younger of the two strangely looking far from happy to be raised out of the ravine.

"Where are the others?" Jane asked the Captain again. He simply shook his head, his face solemn.

Jimmy staggered to his feet, and she saw tears in his eyes. He caught her gaze and approached her slowly. "Jane!" His voice was thick with grief and pain. He fell forward into her open arms and she embraced him comfortingly, kneeling on the ground to catch him.

"Where are they, Jimmy?" she asked. "Where's Hayes? Did you become separated?"

"Dead!" he cried. "They're all dead!"

She froze. "But…" she looked into the youth's face. "Hayes… surely… Lumpy…"

"All gone." She glanced at Preston as he spoke, her eyes wide and now glistening with tears.

"He can't be. Don't be ridiculous!"

She got to her feet and staggered backwards, leaning against a tree for support. She could barely draw breath; the news had crushed her. Looking up, she caught Englehorn's gaze. He had known, she could see it in his eyes, yet he had not told her.

"And all the others…" Preston muttered. "So many of them."

"And Jack?" Jane asked, her voice thick as the first tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I'm over here." They recognised the voice of the playwright. He sounded distant, and only now did they notice that he had climbed up on the opposite side to theirs. "I can't leave her."

"What?" Denham exclaimed. "Jack, come back!"

"No." Englehorn shook his head, exchanging glances with Jack. "Let him go."

"But it's crazy!"

"He can't leave Ann behind."

"Why not? She's just a poor girl from New York. You've already lost most of your crew searching for her."

"I wouldn't have expected you to understand. Driscoll's motivation is a feeling you're incapable of."

Carl looked at him blankly.

"_Love_, Denham," the skipper explained. "It's no use reasoning with a man in love." He shot the filmmaker a cold glance before turning back to Jack. "We'll keep the gate open for you, Driscoll," he called. "Good luck."

And the writer set off into the black tunnel before him with no more than a wave of the hand in thanks to the Captain. Jane watched him go sadly, but Englehorn showed signs of wanting to move on quickly.

"We can't stay out here any longer," he said, and he took hold of her arm to pull her to her feet, but she instantly collapsed into his arms. "Jane," he muttered, but he held her tightly in his arms for a moment, allowing her to cry on his shoulder as Hayes had done not long ago.

"Come on," he said to her at length. "We have to get back to the gate."

She assented eventually, this time accepting Jimmy's offer of support, and they followed the surviving crewmembers back to the village where all of their troubles had started. Jane didn't look over her shoulder, so didn't see Englehorn speaking quietly to Carl Denham. She didn't hear the absurd plot that was taking shape in the filmmaker's mind.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this, etc... The 'spider's lair' part of this chapter was actually based on one of my own experiences while in Texas last summer. The main difference: I had no Englehorn to lean on, only my father. Shame. Hopefully you all enjoyed the holiday season, and hopefully the January blues haven't got you down so much that you can't hit the review button and type a few words to me, hinty hinty hint! Thanks,

the green lama


	6. Chapter 6: Chloroform

**A/N:** A word of warning: some fairly strong language appears infrequently in the following chapter. Don't worry, it's nothing you wouldn't find in a '12' rated film.

**Chapter VI: Chloroform**

**1938**

Jane Bennet took a sip of her tea and breathed a deep sigh of contentment. She was seated comfortably at her desk, looking out on the impressive Manhattan skyline, a fresh sheet of paper in the typewriter before her. She had been an author now since just before Freddie's birth, but one story remained that she had always been afraid to tackle.

Setting the teacup on the desk, she sat forward and tapped the first few words into the typewriter.

'_The Eighth Wonder of the World_.'

It was a working title for her part in the Kong adventure of 1933, and she knew before even starting to write that it would be a best seller. Carl Denham's King Kong was New York legend, and the public was always eager for any more information they could get on the topic. Financial gain was not, however, her main aim in writing, only the many memories pent up inside her that had a tendency to come back to her during quiet moments.

Jane had already decided not to write in chronological order. Chapters could be arranged and put into order later. Besides, there was one memory at present that stood out particularly strongly.

* * *

**1933**

"Please don't do this."

Englehorn walked straight past Jane with the crate of chloroform he was carrying.

"Captain," Jane begged as he put it down, "Frederick, listen to me." She laid a hand on his arm and he finally stopped to pay attention. "This is madness!" she told him. "Do you really want more lives to be lost, just so Denham can arrive home to riches instead of a prison sentence?"

"Jane," he said, "Stop worrying, everything will be alright."

She took a step closer to him, but in anger rather than affection.

"You're using Jack and Ann as bait!"

"We can't return to New York with nothing. It'll be the ruin of myself as well as Denham."

"Even if you do manage to capture this creature, can you imagine the devastation it will wreak if it gets loose in the city?"

Englehorn sighed deeply, looking into her eyes sadly. "This was not my idea," he told her. "Believe me, if there are any other options, I'll take them."

"There is another option," she said softly, laying a hand on his cheek.

"And what would that be?"

"Leave the ape, Frederick. Give up this ridiculous plan of Denham's. Get Ann and Jack back on to the Venture as soon as they return and set sail for Rangoon, as you were ordered."

Taking her other hand in his own, Englehorn cast a glance at the gate, above which his men were preparing huge nets. Jane continued, seeing that her words were affecting him.

"If it's money you're worried about, don't think you won't be rewarded for handing Denham over." She turned his face back to look into his eyes. "_There are other options_."

He didn't say anything. The choice between wealth and doing the right thing was always going to be a difficult one for him, and Jane could see this in his eyes. He glanced at Denham, and she followed his gaze to see the hungry, eager expression the filmmaker always wore at the prospect of big money.

Suddenly, Englehorn dropped her hand and strode towards Carl.

"Forget it, Denham," he said. "It's off."

Jane beamed at him, feeling as if her heart was about to burst with joy, pride and love.

"What?" Denham asked in belief.

"There'll be no animal capture taking place here today."

"But everything's ready!" Carl argued. "It's all set up!"

"I changed my mind, it's as simple as that."

Carl looked over his shoulder at Jane's smiling face. "You mean _she_ changed your mind!" he yelled. "The little bitch! I've noticed you spent a lot of time with her up on the bridge. Now we know how you whiled away those long, lonely nights."

The Captain glared at him. "Believe me, Denham, the next time you make an assumption like that, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

Strangely enough, it didn't surprise Jane to learn what Denham really thought of her. Englehorn turned to his men, and she saw that he, on the other hand, was furious.

"Lower the bridge!" he commanded. "Take the chloroform back to the boats and get ready to leave quickly."

One man raised a knife to cut the rope holding up the bridge, but Carl dived forward.

"No!" he yelled. "Wait! Leave it up!"

"Cut the rope!" Englehorn ordered again, before turning to Carl. "I won't put more lives at risk."

"I'm the man with the money here, Englehorn, and I say we wait."

"In case you haven't noticed, Denham, you're in no position to be ordering me around."

Grinning wickedly, Carl pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Englehorn.

"Don't!" Jane cried, running forward quickly in horror.

"Who's got the authority now, huh, Captain?" the filmmaker asked. There was a demonic gleam in his eye, but Englehorn simply smiled.

"Go on," he said. "Shoot me. I'm curious as to how you plan on sailing back to New York without myself or my first mate."

Carl's grin flickered slightly. "Fine." And he turned the pistol on Jane, whose heart seemed to stop and her insides turn to ice as she looked up the barrel.

"You wouldn't shoot a woman," Englehorn said, his voice dangerously low.

"Wouldn't I?"

Jane let out a whimper of fear, and Englehorn looked into her eyes. "I won't let him hurt you," he promised, but Denham simply laughed.

"Now isn't that just the sweetest thing you ever heard?" he exclaimed. "Big, tough Captain Englehorn has fallen in love!" And he burst into fits of hysterical laughter.

Jane caught the skipper's eye, and he told her wordlessly that this was true.

She wanted to leap into the air with joy and dash into his arms, but Carl's gun was still aimed at her chest. Instead, she simply gave the Captain a loving, desperate glance.

"And now, Englehorn, if you please—"

Denham's words were cut short as a monstrous roar reached their ears. All eyes turned to the gate, as it was behind it that the noise had come from. Next, they heard yells: Jack's, and then, to her cousin's delight, Ann's.

"She's alive!" Jane exclaimed. In her heart, however, she knew that her dear friend and relative would not be for much longer if Carl got his way.

"Help!" Ann called.

"Drop the bridge!" Jack begged, and they could hear his despair and desperation in his voice.

"Lower the bridge!" Englehorn yelled. "You bastard, Denham! Lower the goddamned bridge!"

"Carl!" Jane called, taking a step towards him. "Please don't let her die!"

"Stay back!" he ordered, but she ignored him and came closer still.

"Don't do this," she pleaded. "Too many people have already lost their lives today."

He still pointed the pistol at her, and the ape roared again, closer this time. "Don't make me pull this trigger!" Carl yelled. "I will sh—"

He didn't finish, as Englehorn hit him hard in the face, knocking him to ground and kicking the pistol away.

"Bastard!" the Captain yelled, before hitting him again and turning to his crew. "Lower the bridge!"

Jane's heart swelled with love and relief as she watched Englehorn check that Carl was knocked out.

"He's out cold," the Captain called, and a man came instantly to drag him away to the boats.

The rope holding up the bridge snapped with a loud twang, and Jane ran towards the gate, through which two familiar characters soon came.

"Ann!"

"Jane!"

The tearful cousins ran into each other's arms, and they clung together tightly.

"I thought you were gone forever!" Jane whispered, and Ann opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short by another roar.

"Get out of here!" the Captain yelled. He grabbed Jane's hand to pull her away, and she, in turn, pulled Ann. "All of you, run!"

The crew scattered, sprinting wildly for their lives. They heard an almighty crash as they reached the rocky tunnel leading to the sea, and Jane glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, God…" A twenty-five-foot gorilla had just burst through the gate.

"Come on, run!" the Captain shouted, and they didn't dare stop. An unwelcome sight reached their eyes, however, as they reached the boats.

"You sure pulled a dirty trick there, Englehorn!" Denham, it seemed, had recovered. "But I'm not beyond one myself! I wasn't really knocked out!" He let out a laugh of triumph.

The ape roared, and they looked back to see it running down the tunnel towards them.

"Into the boats!" Englehorn commanded. "Get the hell out of here! And you," he added, turning his own gun on Denham, "Are going to do exactly as I say."

Ann, Jane, Bruce and four others quickly climbed into the first boat, and Englehorn pushed it out before jumping in himself. Jack, Jimmy and Carl were among those in the second.

The ape was close now, close enough for Jane to see the almost human fury in its eyes. The seamen fired at him, but he simply lifted up the second boat and hurled it away, casting the passengers into the water. The cousins watched in horror, but both Jack and Jimmy quickly reappeared on the surface.

Kong came into the water now, and Englehorn swapped his rifle for a harpoon gun.

"No!" Ann yelled, trying to pull the weapon from his hands. "Don't hurt him!"

"Get off!" he shouted in reply. "If we don't kill him, he'll kill us!"

"He's right," Jane agreed, attempting to restrain her cousin.

Aiming carefully, Englehorn fired a harpoon, and it sunk deep into the flesh of the beast's thigh.

"No!" Ann cried again, tears forming in her eyes as Kong roared in pain.

No one noticed Carl scrambling up out of the water as Englehorn loaded a second missile into the gun.

"Please!" Ann begged as he raised the weapon. "It's me he wants! Don't hurt him!"

"Wait!"

Everybody looked round quickly to see Carl standing on the rocks, a bottle of chloroform clutched tightly in his fingers. Englehorn swore violently under his breath, and Ann let out a wail of despair and grief.

The ape came slowly towards them, but, after a moment of anxious silence from the crew, Carl threw bottle through the air, and it hit the animal square between the eyes. The glass shattered, and there was a sickening hiss as the chemical was released.

The beast groaned deeply, and waved its hands in front of its face as if it could bat away the chloroform. The drug did its work quickly, and the once-almighty animal went down on all fours in the water. Raising his eyes slowly, he looked at Ann and reached out a hand to her. Tears now streaming down her face, the actress turned away, unable to bear the sight before her. Jane held her close in an attempt to comfort her, and watched sadly as Kong, in pain and abandoned by his one love, collapsed into the water.

Nobody moved for a moment, gazing in pity and sorrow at the ape. Only the gentle lapping of the waves and Ann's soft sobs could be heard.

"We're millionaires, boys," Carl said, a triumphant grin on his face, "And I'll share it with all of you. In a few months, his name'll be up in lights on Broadway – Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!"

Englehorn sat down slowly beside Jane, his head in his hands. "We can't take him back," he said. "I don't want to be responsible."

Taking one of his hands wordlessly in her own, Jane let her head rest on his shoulder.

"Come on, Englehorn!" Carl called. "We need to get him on your ship and back to New York!"

The Captain stood up and turned to face him. "No," he said firmly.

Carl sighed in frustration. "Do we have to go through this again?" he asked, and produced another gun, aiming it at Jane again. "Now do as I say, or I'll shoot her."

Quickly, Englehorn grabbed the harpoon gun in desperation. "And I'll shoot the ape." he said, aiming it at Kong. "I'll kill it."

Jane could see this was a last desperate attempt to carry out her plan, and knew as well as Englehorn did that it was in vain.

Carl grinned. "Even the ape's corpse is valuable," he said. "_Her_ corpse, however…"

He trailed off, letting the threat hang in the air, but the Captain pulled Jane behind him, placing himself between her and the pistol.

Denham heaved a sigh of annoyance. "Don't be such an idiot!" he yelled. "Even if I shoot you, I know you and Hayes trained her, so she can sail us home. I'm sure she'll agree to those terms after you die in her arms."

Tears welled up in Jane's eyes. Englehorn said nothing, but she reached up to take hold of his hand. "Agree," she said softly. "There's nothing more you can do." He looked down into her eyes, and there was more love in his own bright blues than she had ever thought possible. He nodded slowly, knowing that she was right.

Shaking his head bitterly in the knowledge that he was doing wrong, Captain Englehorn began to deliver his orders to the Venture's dilapidated crew.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry this update has taken so long... coursework and increasingly entertaining Premiership football are my only excuses. Please review! Pretty please!

the green lama xxx


	7. Chapter 7: Plotting a Course

**Chapter VII: Plotting a Course**

**1938**

Jane paused and flexed her fingers, casting her green eyes over the memories she'd just committed to paper. She could see everything as clear in her mind's eye as the typewriter before her: Denham's pistol; the wide range of emotions that had flashed across Englehorn's face; the ape itself reaching out for Ann…

"Mum! Someone's here to see you!"

She heard Freddie calling her and turned round to see him running into her room. Behind him came a little dark-haired girl named Jessie. She lived in the flat next door, and was one of her son's favourite playmates. Today, Jane had offered to look after the young American girl while her mother was out shopping.

"Jessie's mum's here," Freddie said, so Jane quickly got to her feet to meet her neighbour at the door.

Maria Vanucci was an attractive woman recognisably of Italian origins, with beautiful olive skin, deep brown eyes and flowing, glossy black hair. She greeted Jane with a hug, having been a good friend of hers for several years now.

"How has my Jessie been?" she asked, kissing her young daughter on the forehead.

"She's been wonderful," Jane answered, beaming at the four-year-old. "Both she and Freddie have been very well behaved."

"They didn't disturb your writing at all, then?"

"No, Jessie's been an angel, I promise you."

"I'm glad to hear it!"

"Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee and a chat?" Jane offered. "It's been ages since we really had a chance to talk."

"I would have loved to, Jane, but my husband is due home soon, and he needs his dinner cooking. I'm sorry."

The Englishwoman opened her mouth to speak, but Jessie interrupted her. "I want to stay here!" she moaned, not quite so angelic as she had been before.

"Come on, Jessie," Maria coaxed gently. "Your daddy will be home soon, and there's always tomorrow for playing with Freddie."

The little girl heaved a melodramatic sigh. "Ok," she agreed, before turning to her playmate. "Where's your daddy?" she asked.

Both women froze in horror.

"I don't know," Freddie said in amazement, as if the thought had never struck him before. He pondered the question for a moment, and glanced up at his mother. "Where is my daddy, mum?"

"Not now, Freddie," Jane said quietly.

"Don't you have one?" Jessie asked.

"That's enough, Jessie!" Maria said sharply, steering her daughter out of the door.

"Do I have a daddy?" Freddie asked, but the young woman didn't answer.

"I'm so sorry," Maria said quickly to her friend. "I promise you, this will never happen again."

"It's fine," Jane assured her. "Jessie's only a child, she couldn't have known."

Maria didn't look convinced, but, after shooting her an apologetic smile, left Jane's apartment.

"Why won't you tell me?" her little boy asked as she closed the front door, but still she said nothing.

For years, Jane had avoided telling Freddie anything of his father, and had succeeded in building up a pleasant little world of only mother and son. Now, she felt this world collapsing around her.

"Mummy, why are you ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you, darling," Jane promised.

"Then tell me! How come Jessie has a daddy and I don't? Do you have one?"

"I did, yes."

"Then I want one!"

The single mother sank on to the sofa, marvelling at how similar Freddie was to his namesake in moments of rage, even at so young an age. His blue eyes flashed in anger.

"Tell me _now_!" he yelled.

"Frederick Englehorn, don't you _dare_ shout at me like that again!"

Jane clapped a hand to her mouth in horror at what she had done as soon as the words slipped out of her mouth. For the first time ever, she had shouted at her beloved son. The young boy looked alarmed, and tears filled his mother's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Freddie," she said softly, and he came into the arms she opened to him. "I shouldn't have shouted at you."

"I'm sorry too, mummy," he whispered back.

Parent and child held each other tightly, and Freddie rested his head against his mother's shoulder, seated on her knee with her arms around him.

"Your daddy," Jane began at length, "He… he isn't here, that's all. He's away."

"Where? And why?"

She smiled sadly. "He's out on adventures, far away over the oceans."

Freddie gazed at her in awe. "Really?"

"Yes, taming ferocious wild animals and exploring distant lands."

"My daddy is an _adventurer_?" Jane nodded. "What's his name?"

"Why it's the same as yours, of course."

"Frederick Englehorn?"

"_Captain_ Frederick Englehorn, of a ship called the Venture."

The small boy couldn't contain his delight. "The Venture… it sounds wonderful. Have you been on board? What's it like?"

"It's not the biggest of ships, but I think it's the best in the world."

"Me too! It simply must be!" Laughing merrily, Freddie threw his arms around his mother's neck and hugged her tightly. "Oh, mum, this is fantastic! Wait till I tell Jessie!"

* * *

**1933**

"Dead slow ahead both, Miss Bennet."

Jane pulled the lever round and it jangled noisily. "Dead slow ahead both, Captain."

The Venture was about to leave Skull Island behind, Captain Englehorn was back at the helm, and Jane was by his side, the only person left qualified to act as first mate.

The atmosphere was almost unbearable for the young woman. She had been left with only the Captain for company upon countless occasions before, but never before had the term 'alone' born so much weight for the pair on the bridge. In the past there had always been the prospect of Hayes' presence, but both he and second mate Green had perished on Skull Island.

"Set a course for New York," Englehorn said.

"Aye, Captain," Jane answered, but they heard footsteps on the stairs, and Jimmy appeared round the door.

"Here you are, skipper," he said, holding out a familiar-looking pistol.

"Thank you, Jimmy," the elder sailor said, and he stowed it away carefully as the youth left them.

"What's that for?" Jane asked.

"It's Denham's," Englehorn explained. "I asked Jimmy to steal it so it would never be aimed at you again." He paused and caught her eye, before continuing quietly. "That was the most terrifying moment of my life. I'd rather take a bullet myself than see you held at gunpoint again."

Jane held his gaze briefly with a small smile, before passing into the small cabin behind them to plot the course home. The compasses were familiar in her hands, but brought unwanted memories into her head. The map swam before her eyes, she lost focus, and the compasses slipped through her fingers.

Englehorn came to the doorway as she leant on the table for support, watching her in concern. "Jane?"

"It's no use," she muttered.

"Why?"

"I can't do it!" She shut her eyes tightly, as if she could stop the on-coming tears. "I can't do it," she repeated, "And I…"

Her voice trailed away.

"Of course you can," Englehorn assured her. "I've watched you do it in practise hundreds of times."

"It's not that. It's–" He stepped forward to catch her quickly in his arms as her legs gave way. "I keep thinking of Hayes!" she cried.

"Shh, Jane…"

Englehorn held her tightly in his strong arms, stroking her hair gently and letting her cry on his shoulder. She laid one hand on his shoulder, the other on his chest, grateful and glad of his support and comfort.

"Don't worry," he said softly, "I miss him too. I'm simply not as prone to tears as yourself." He paused, and a small smile graced her features at his words. "In fact," he continued, "I'm surprised you kept your composure so long, after all you've been through. Your cousin didn't manage quite so well."

This was true; Ann had barely stopped crying since Jack had brought her back.

"You should get some rest," Englehorn told Jane. "Go to your cabin, I can manage by myself."

"No!" she said quickly, looking him in the eye. "The best place for me now is here with you." He smiled warmly.

"Then stay," he said, but she was not yet finished.

"Captain," she began, "Frederick, I think I—"

"Shh." He put a finger on her lips to silence her. "I know." He leant towards her, and Jane's eyelids fluttered shut, her heart pounding.

"Captain!"

Englehorn pulled away, swearing violently under his breath, and Jane let out a sigh of frustration. Jimmy was back, and she turned away so he wouldn't see her tears.

"We need you in the hold," Jimmy told Englehorn.

"I'm coming," he replied, and the youth hurried away.

The Captain made to follow him, but stopped in the doorway and looked back at Jane, catching her gaze. "I love you too," he said quietly. She smiled through her tears, but he left before she could say anything in return.

Listening to his receding footsteps, Jane couldn't help the giggle of delight that escaped her lips. Her joy soon overcame her grief, and instead of sad memories of Hayes, she now remembered his suspicion of Englehorn.

"_I think someone likes you_."

The once first mate's words came back to her; his good-natured grin was bright as ever in her mind's eye.

Now she turned her gaze back to the map, and the thin black outlines were sharp and crisp before her eyes. She could almost visualise the co-ordinates, and a large, pencilled-in cross on the North American coastline they were headed for.

Smiling to herself, Jane picked up the compasses and set to work.

* * *

The course to New York was plotted and set. After all of the proof reading and re-checking she'd done, Jane was certain she was correct, and didn't need to ask the Captain.

_The Captain_.

He'd barely left Jane's thoughts since he'd left the bridge an hour before. It was dark by now, and she stood at the railing of the ship, looking out over the sea with a contented smile on her face. All of her tears were spent, and, what with Englehorn having just voiced his love for her, it was impossible to dwell on melancholy thoughts for too long.

"Oh, Captain," she sighed aloud. Then, to her great embarrassment, she heard a man's laugh behind her. Glancing over her shoulder quickly, she saw Englehorn himself.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

"Tremendously," she confessed in all honesty, turning back to the sea. Then, to her immense delight, she felt his hands on her hips, and he pulled her close to him.

"I trust you sorted out the problems in the hold?" she asked.

"Yes, though it seems I'm the only person left on board who can tie knots," he said.

"On a ship like this? That's disgraceful."

He grinned, and slid his arms around her to hold her even closer.

Jane smiled. "Oh, Captain," she sighed again. "I think I've fallen in love with you."

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course." She spun round in his arms to look into his eyes, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"Even though I'm almost twice your age?"

"Yes."

"And even though I'm the Captain of this rusty little tramp steamer?"

"It's a wonderful ship."

"Even though I probably sank your father's vessels during the war?"

"I still love you." She paused, smiling. "You seem to be trying hard to put me off," she remarked.

"Because a girl like you could do so much better than me."

She sighed in annoyance. "In my time, I've seen just about every guise of manhood, believe me, but you're the best so far."

"Then I'm the luckiest man alive."

He leant closer to her again, and Jane closed her eyes a second time, a tingly feeling of excitement welling up inside her. Then their lips met.

It was only brief at first, but Englehorn caught Jane's eye and smiled when they parted for a moment, and they quickly kissed again. She slid her arms round his neck, delighting in the warmth of his body against hers and the scratch of his stubble on her skin. They parted slowly and reluctantly, ending what Jane would look back on as one of the most blissful experiences of her life.

"I love you," she whispered, and he stroked her cheek gently with his fingertips.

"Du bist schön," he murmured into her ear in his native German, and Jane smiled. She spoke the language fluently, but had never dreamed of using it in a situation like this, nor being called beautiful in it.

"Danke," she replied, smiling sweetly, and he glanced at her in surprise.

"You speak German?"

She simply nodded in reply, and he gazed at her in amazement, grinning widely. "You just keep getting better."

She kissed him again, and he responded passionately yet lovingly, running his fingers through her long hair. Jane pulled away for a moment.

"So do you," she whispered in his ear.

* * *

**A/N:** Yay, romance! I know, this was ridiculously long, but you probably know by now what I'm like... a hopeless romantic! Please review, and I'll give you an update in return. Go on, reviews make my day,

the green lama


	8. Chapter 8: Lullaby

**Chapter VIII: Lullaby**

**1938**

The grandfather clock had just struck ten, and Jane was busy putting her son to bed. This, however, was proving to be a task more easily said than done.

"Do you hear that?" Jane exclaimed as the clock chimed ten times. "It's 10 o'clock, and far too late for you, Freddie Englehorn."

The small boy giggled guiltily, having stayed up two hours later than usual to hear tales of his namesake.

"It's not _my_ fault, mum," he insisted. "Your stories are too good!"

Jane smiled, feeling inclined to agree. The mere thought of Captain Englehorn sent a thrill of excitement through her body, though obviously for very different reasons to her son.

"Tell me another," he begged. "Please, mummy!"

"Of course not! It's way past your bedtime!"

"But I'm too excited about my daddy to sleep!" Freddie paused. "When will he come back?"

Jane's heart stirred painfully, both as a mother and a lover. "I don't know, darling," she said quietly. "I don't know how often busy adventurers find time to visit people like us."

"If I was him," said the child, "I'd want to come back and see me."

"It's not always a matter of choice," she told him, though he had voiced a point that she had often considered.

Finally, Freddie lay down, snuggling into his pillows and blankets, despite looking like he hadn't quite understood his mother's last statement.

"Will you sing to me, mum?" he asked.

"What would you like me to sing?"

"My favourite one – Barms."

"Brahms," Jane corrected with a smile; pronunciation of the foreign name was too much for her son, but she started to sing softly. She knew no words, simply coming out with a stream of nonsense sounds that mothers are so good at. The tune of Brahms' famous lullaby was a favourite of her son's, and it worked its magic quickly.

"Good night, dear one," Jane whispered as his heavy eyelids drooped. "Sleep well."

* * *

**1933**

As the Venture travelled across the globe, she soon passed into the Northern Hemisphere, where the weather soon changed dramatically.

One evening, Jane stood at the railing of the vessel on the very same spot she'd shared her first kiss with the Captain, and she shivered in the chilly winter breeze, unused to the climate even a month from New York.

Casting a glance over her shoulder at the bridge to check she was not needed, she climbed quickly down the ladder into the hold, swift with practise after being so long at sea. Skipping the last two rungs, she landed on the straw-covered floor with a muffled thud, her nose instinctively wrinkling at the unpleasant aroma. Directly in front of her lay Kong, motionless on his back in the largest of the Venture's enclosures with plenty of strong rope bound around his limbs. His last dosage of chloroform did its job suitably, thankfully.

Slowly, almost cautiously, Jane approached the beast's cage. She could hear his breathing, slow and heavy, and eyed his features. She had been down here to see him plenty of times, but the human qualities of the face before her would never cease to take her breath away.

In his drugged state, Kong looked peaceful, almost harmless, at least, as much so as a twenty-five foot gorilla can possibly look, but in places his fur was caked with dried blood, and she could see teeth marks in his arm.

Jane had heard Denham practising the script for his already planned stage show, which, incidentally, everybody on board besides Baxter had flatly refused to take part in.

'_He was a king in the world he knew, but he comes to you now a captive._'

Carl had little talent as a writer, but he was right. Back on Skull Island, Kong had been the only one of his kind, proud and almighty, fighting and defeating any creatures but humans who dared cross him, according to Ann. To Jane, seeing him out cold in a cage was heart breaking, like seeing a noble monarch or leader stripped of their rank and humiliated. His body was a pathetic and mournful sight.

Walking round the cage, Jane caught a glimpse of a boot sticking out of one of the higher enclosures. She sighed, smiling sadly as it was hastily pulled back. There was only one crewmember who would sit up there.

"Jimmy?" she called. "I know you're there."

Sure enough, the youth's familiar face appeared at the bars of the cage.

"Jane?"

The term 'youth' was probably unfair, Jane decided, as she watched him scramble nimbly out of the enclosure and down a ladder. Though still in his late teens, Jimmy was very much a young man now, more broad-shouldered and of a better build than several of his fellow seamen, but he would always be the 'baby' of the crew. As he landed on the floor beside her, he was a good few inches taller than her in height.

"What is it?" he asked quickly. "Do they want me? Am I needed on deck?"

He kept his eyes down as he spoke, but Jane caught his arm quickly as he made to scamper away.

"Look at me," she said, and he slowly raised his face. "Oh, Jimmy." His eyes glistened with tears. "Is it..?"

She didn't need to finish for him to nod wordlessly, so she hugged him comfortingly. He welcomed the embrace; a hug can offer more support than a thousand words.

"I miss him too," Jane said nevertheless.

"You're the only one who understands," Jimmy said softly. "The rest of them can't. They reckon I'm a wimp."

"Believe me, you've shown far more strength of character than any of them by being open with your emotions."

"No one else thinks that."

Jane sighed sadly, catching his eye, and decided to leave his last comment be. "You should get some sleep," she told him.

"But there's another hour yet before I'm supposed to," he insisted. "I've got work to do, and skipper'll kill me."

"He'll understand. I'll make excuses for you."

"I'll not sleep anyway. I've barely had any since we left the island. I miss him too much." Jimmy paused. "It's like, without Hayes…"

His voice trailed off, and he thought to himself for a moment before shaking his head angrily.

"I'm no Jack Driscoll; I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," Jane told him. "Tears say more about feelings than fine-sounding words."

He nodded, and they exchanged small, sad smiles.

"I think I'll stay down below tonight," Jimmy said. "I like it here, it's where I stowed away." He pointed up to a large wooden cage swinging from the ceiling. "That one right there, that's the bat cage I hid in."

They paused.

"See you in the morning then, Jane," he said, and climbed back up to his cage, but she followed him.

"What are you doing?" he asked her suspiciously, backing off into the corner furthest from her.

Jane stayed perched at the top of the ladder, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, Jimmy, I don't fancy you or anything."

"Good." Grinning, he picked up a grubby old pillow and set it at one end of the enclosure.

"Remember," she told him. "There's always a bright side to life, even if it doesn't seem so obvious at first."

"What's your bright side, Jane?" he asked, lying down.

She didn't answer. "The Captain?" he suggested with a grin. "Don't deny it, we've all seen you together."

She smiled shyly. "I won't deny it then."

There was a pause.

"Are you going to sing me to sleep?" Jimmy asked suddenly.

Jane glanced at him in surprise. "Would you like me to?"

"My mum used to sing to me years ago. I can barely remember, I was very young."

There was a sad tinge to his voice, so Jane began to softly sing the familiar tune of Brahms' lullaby.

It was bizarre, she thought, the she should be the one to temporarily fill the parent role for Jimmy when she was barely two years older than him herself.

Before she even reached the chorus, his eyelids were fluttering, and as she came to the end, his breathing settled into a slow, steady rhythm that told her he was asleep.

"You see?" she whispered. "You were sleepy after all."

And she climbed slowly back down the ladder, dusting off the fragments of loose red rust that had come away in her hands. Turning round, she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Christ! You scared me there!" She spoke softly, anxious not to wake Jimmy, but Englehorn stood before her.

Smiling, he came forward to take one of her hands in his own. "What are you doing down here?" he asked.

They both glanced up quickly as they heard Jimmy mumble something in his sleep, and, shaking her head wordlessly, Jane led the Captain away to the far end of the hold.

"I came down to get out of the wind, mostly," she told him, "Though I ended up singing Jimmy to sleep."

"So I heard." Englehorn glanced back towards the bat cages. "How is he?"

"Sleeping peacefully, at last. It'll be a while before he's back to the Jimmy we know, but that's to be expected, I suppose." She paused. "I simply reminded him that there is always something left to live for."

The skipper caught her eye and pulled her close to him. "And apparently I fill that role for you."

Jane sighed. "Is it a habit of yours, Frederick, to eavesdrop on others' conversations?"

His smile widened into a grin. "Only when there's a certain young woman involved." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, letting his hand stay on her cheek. "She's quite special, you see, this young woman," he told her. "Exceptionally beautiful, and so smart it's embarrassing at times."

Jane smiled and leaning forward, kissed his lips softly. Before she could step back, Englehorn's arms snaked around her waist, holding her tightly, and he passionately returned th kiss.

Behind them, Ann Darrow silently descended into the hold. The first thing her melancholy eyes settled on was Kong, but as she approached the giant ape's body, another sight caught her attention. She froze as she saw her cousin in the Captain's arms, and a look of pure delight spread across her face. _At last!_ The actress had to stifle an exclamation of joy and force herself not to make a sound; she'd been waiting for Jane and Englehorn's romance to start for weeks. Smiling contentedly, she climbed back up the ladder as quietly as she possibly could.

Eventually, the kiss shared by the new couple came to an end, but she kept her forehead against his, her face close to his, the arms she wrapped tightly around his neck keeping him near to her.

"I love you Frederick," she whispered, and his blue eyes gazed into hers, sparkling mischievously. It was a look she recognised instantly.

"It's getting late," he told her, "And it's high time you were in bed, young lady."

"But Ann's with Jack now, so it's lonely in my cabin."

"Lonely?" He sighed and shook his head, faking annoyance. "And I suppose you'll be telling me your bunk's too narrow next."

Biting her lip, Jane played along and nodded, her green eyes twinkling seductively.

"As your Captain, Miss Bennet, it is my duty to cater for your every need."

"And how do you intend to go about that, sir?"

"Let me show you." And, with a playful grin, he led her away to his cabin.

* * *

For the first time since leaving England, Jane woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and contented. She was wrapped up warm and snug in thick, soft woollen blankets of far better quality than her own, and the cabin was well-lit by the bright rays of the early-morning sun streaming in through the window.

She opened her eyes slowly, blinking at first in the light, and what she saw instantly brought a small smile to her face, as well as memories of the night before. The cabin was bigger and better than her own, her clothes were in a heap on the floor, and Captain Englehorn stood shaving at the sink wearing nothing but his trousers.

Jane sighed deeply; it was possibly the best way that a young woman could ever hope to start the day.

Hearing her sigh, the Captain caught her eye in the mirror and smiled.

"Good morning, Jane," he said, but she simply smiled at him in reply. He finished shaving quickly and came to kneel by the young woman lying in his own bed, who greeted him with a gentle kiss.

"Good morning, Captain," she whispered into his ear, and he stroked her hair softly, gazing into her eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. This he accompanied with a mischievous grin, which Jane mirrored as she replied.

"Of course, though it was rather unkind of you to leave me in bed by myself so early in the morning."

He deciphered her true meaning from her sparkling eyes, and climbed back into the narrow bunk after undressing again, holding Jane tightly in his arms. She nestled into him, resting her head on his bare chest and delighting in the warmth of his body against hers.

"I love you, Frederick," she sighed.

She couldn't see, but her lover's face stretched into a wide smile of pure delight, and he kissed the top of her head gently.

"I know."

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks to all of my lovely reviewers... you make my day! Keep them coming, please, and I'll answer with updates. Cheers,

the green lama xxx


	9. Chapter 9: A Night at the Theatre

**Chapter IX: A Night at the Theatre**

**1938**

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."

The lights in the theatre dimmed gently, and a spotlight followed the man walking on stage.

"I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to the premiere of a play by one of New York's finest… Mr Jack Driscoll!"

The audience, Jane and Freddie included, clapped enthusiastically. Tonight, the young woman and her son had accepted tickets to a performance of a new work by their favourite playwright, and were seated comfortably in the grand circle of a large theatre. The small boy sat forward eagerly in his seat, clothed in a smart little outfit with his hair combed neatly for the occasion, his eyes wide in excitement.

On stage stood Jack's long time sponsor and patron, George Weston. He was a businessman of great wealth, thanks to the success of his writer.

"For over three months now," Weston continued, "I've been watching this production develop with great interest and excitement, and I promise you, it's one of the best I've seen from Jack in a long time. Also, the first to be co-written by his beautiful wife Ann."

The audience clapped again, and Jane exchanged glances with Ann, whom he sat beside. The actress had decided to give up her part in her husband's play due to her pregnancy, another first for the Driscolls.

"I know you're all eager for the show to start," Weston said with a smile, "So I'll be quick, but I have message I was asked to pass on by Mr Driscoll himself. He would like to dedicate this play to a wonderful young friend of his and a brave adventurer for the modern age: four-year-old Freddie Englehorn."

Freddie gasped in surprise, and gazed in amazement at Jack, who sat three seats along. "Uncle Jack!" he exclaimed, and the writer smiled in reply.

"So with no further ado, I give you what you've all been waiting for. Ladies and gentlemen… _Azure_, by Jack Driscoll!"

A murmur of excitement rippled through the audience, and the crimson velvet curtain behind Weston was raised as he hastily left the stage.

The set it revealed was a dock: colourful, busy and chaotic, with sailors and tradesmen hurrying back and forth like ants. In the middle of the melee stood a young woman, small and slender, with dark hair styled in the close curls fashionable at the time. She looked around nervously, tightly clutching a small brown suitcase, before slowly starting to make her way across the stage. Not really looking where she was going, she collided with a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was tall and handsome, in a way, with dark eyes and short black hair. His appearance seemed Spanish, or maybe Italian.

"Watch where you're going!" He said sternly, in an accent that matched his appearance.

"Sorry, sir!" the young woman replied quickly, but she caught his gaze and both actors froze momentarily.

Jane guessed that later in the play, this couple would fall in love. The scenario seemed oddly familiar. A young woman catching a foreign sailor's eye at a busy port? Glancing across at Jack, she found him looking back at her, and caught his eye. A small smile slipped on to his face, and Jane quickly guessed that any similarities were deliberate.

* * *

**1933**

"Land ahoy!"

Jane glanced up in surprise from the small book of Shakespeare she'd been flicking through as she heard Jimmy's cry. Englehorn, with whom she was alone on the bridge, stood at the wheel, but he glanced over his shoulder and caught her eye.

There was silence for a moment, before they both dashed out of the wheelhouse to the railing, looking out eagerly over the horizon. A relieved smile appeared on the woman's features; the skyline they both knew so well could be seen in the distance.

"There it is, Jane," Englehorn said.

"_New York_," she breathed. It was not _home_ – a city other than London could never be – but the distant skyscrapers were a welcome sight to her eyes.

The Captain wrapped an arm around her waist and she let her head rest on his shoulder, sighing in contentment.

"We did it, Frederick!" she whispered. "I knew you'd get us back!"

Englehorn said nothing. Jane could not see, but, unlike hers his face was unusually solemn. He had been dreading the return to New York since they'd set off from Skull Island. Return meant unleashing the ape on New York and whatever Denham had planned for it. But, and equally bad if not worse, return also meant making a decision about his future with Jane.

* * *

**1934**

New York seemed strangely quiet. The famous skyscrapers were shrouded in fog, and the icy January wind made Jane shiver even as she looked out of the window. Neither she nor Ann had dared venture outside all day.

Weeks had passed since Denham's stage show and the events of the following evening, but the cousins' lives were far from back to normal. Such a long period of recovery had been expected of Ann by all who knew her: after all, she had witnessed the death of one very dear to her. One who, though not human, had risked his life to protect her.

Jane had recovered much more quickly, but only this morning had found something out that would change her life forever, and that scared the living daylights out of her.

"When are you going to tell him?" Ann asked, having been with her cousin when the discovery was made.

There was no doubt as to who she meant by 'him'. It was the man who had not left Jane's thoughts since she'd last seen him in Central Park a fortnight ago.

"I don't know," the Englishwoman answered quietly. "I'm terrified of what he'll say."

"He has to know."

"He does." She sighed.

Ann joined her by the window, taking her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I saw Jack yesterday," the actress said softly.

Jane glanced at her in surprise. "You did?"

"I met him on the street a couple of blocks away." She paused. Jane knew Ann and Jack had barely spoken since he'd held her on top of the Empire State Building. "He asked if he could come over for a while, as we have lots to talk about."

Jane nodded. "I'll leave you alone when he comes, and take the opportunity to go down to the docks."

As soon as she had spoken, there was a sharp knock on the door, and their eyes met briefly.

"Good luck!" both whispered simultaneously, and they embraced warmly, before Ann went to the door and Jane fetched her coat.

"Ann!"

A small smile slipped onto Jane's face as she heard Jack's voice. She could imagine without even seeing him the look of deepest adoration he would be wearing now upon seeing Ann. Shutting the wardrobe she'd taken her coat out of, she went back into the passage from her bedroom to see the writer.

"Hi, Jack," she said, smiling, and he shook her hand with a similar reply, but his eyes only left Ann's for a moment. "I'm just on my way out, I'm afraid," Jane continued.

"That's fine," he said distantly, "I'll see you round."

The Englishwoman cast her gaze briefly over Jack and Ann, marvelling at love she could see in his eyes, before leaving the apartment.

Once she stepped out into the cold street, Jane instantly hailed a cab. Once, she would have opted to walk, but could afford small luxuries with the money Denham had given her upon returning to New York. Ironically, the car she was in now took her exactly the same route to the docks as Carl's cab all those weeks ago, before she had even met the man she hoped to see now.

The docks were almost exactly the same as they had been then when the car pulled up, though colder, and not quite so daunting now she knew where she was going. Jane found the Venture quickly, and recognised a familiar figure sitting at the bottom of the gangway.

"Jimmy!"

He glanced up quickly as he heard her voice. "Jane?" Jumping to his feet, Jimmy ran towards her and embraced her warmly. "Why've you been away so long?" he asked immediately. "We haven't seen you in ages."

"I haven't had chance yet, I'm afraid. Ann and I haven't been well, what with the cold weather we've been having." She paused. Even Jimmy recognised the euphemism she used to avoid mentioning unpleasant memories. "You seem in good spirits," Jane continued, changing the subject swiftly.

"Yeah! Skipper just paid me, and soon we're going to Africa to capture some animals. I can't wait!"

"That's… wonderful."

"But how are you? How's Ann? Where are you living now? I heard –"

"Jimmy." She interrupted him, and his beaming grin dimmed slightly. "I'm sorry," she said, "But I must speak with the Captain. It's urgent. Is he here?"

"Yeah, I'll take you to him."

He led her on board the familiar vessel, and down below deck to the galley, where she saw the Captain sitting opposite a young dark-haired man. He glanced up with a smile as he saw her.

"Ah, Jane!"

She flashed him a small smile, but he quickly went back to the man he was talking to.

"Thank you, Mr…" Englehorn paused awkwardly, but the man opposite only laughed.

"That's quite alright, Captain Englehorn!" he said, sounding Italian.

"You can teach me to pronounce your name when you start work tomorrow," Englehorn returned with a smile, and rising from their seats they shook hands, before the Italian left. Jimmy followed him, leaving them alone.

"Who's that?" Jane asked.

"My new cook. He's Italian, so he should be good, but I've no idea how to say his name."

She smiled. "I'm not sure even a cook from Italy can make a good meal of porridge and walnuts."

Englehorn grinned. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Her expression quickly went back to its solemn self as she sat down in a seat he pulled out for her. "I have some… news," she said quietly.

"Good or bad?"

She caught his eye. "That depends what mood you're in."

"Well, I recently received my pay for the last voyage, and now you've come to see me. I'm in as good a mood as I'll ever be."

She smiled weakly. "I'm not sure how you'll take this," she muttered, more to herself than him, but his smile faded slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well." She thought for a moment, unsure how to tell him. "You know on the voyage, we…" She trailed away, and he raised an eyebrow in confusion. "No, let me start that again." She paused. "The truth is… well… I'm… I need to tell you that I…"

"Jane." He smiled, sighing deeply. "Just tell me. Be straight, I don't mind."

"Fine." She took a deep breath and looked him square in the eye. "We're going to be parents."

There, it was out at last.

He froze, before an extraordinary change came over his face. His expression changed from happiness to shock, amazement to disbelief.

There was a minute or so of absolute silence.

"What?" he asked at length.

"I'm pregnant, Frederick."

He didn't say anything, and though his eyes stayed on hers, he seemed to be looking straight through her. Jane watched him anxiously, unable to read his expression.

"Well?" she asked hesitantly.

His bright blue eyes regained focus, looking into her own. Then, to her immense delight, the corners of his mouth rose into a small smile.

"Pregnant?" he asked.

Jane nodded. "What do you say?"

He thought to himself for a moment, his smile growing with each second that passed. "I say that's wonderful."

Getting to her feet quickly, Jane dashed round the table and fell into her lover's arms. "You're happy?" she asked.

Englehorn laughed aloud: it was a sound that Jane had not often heard, and accompanied a sense of great relief. "Didn't you think I would be?"

"I didn't know what you'd do."

"You're certain of it?" he asked. "You're definitely..?"

"Pregnant, yes."

"And when is your… _our_ child due?"

"Not for months yet."

"I don't know how I'll survive the wait."

He kissed her passionately, before lifting her off the floor and spinning her round in the air.

"Don't!" Jane squealed, but she laughed all the same. Their lips met again, and this time she threw her arms around his neck to make sure he could not pull away.

"Skipper?"

They separated quickly, however, upon hearing Jimmy's voice, and saw the youngster standing in the doorway attempting unsuccessfully to conceal his smirk.

"What's happened?" Jimmy asked, his cheeks quickly turning almost as bright a shade of pink as Jane's.

Englehorn grinned at him. "A few months from now, and you won't be the only baby of the ship."

Jimmy smiled. "You mean…"

Jane nodded.

"You're having a baby!"

* * *

**1938**

Jane's prediction about the couple in the opening scenes had been spot-on, as she found later in the play. The young woman, called Anna, managed to gain a place on the ship of the man she had collided with, who turned out to be the Portuguese Captain of the 'Prospero', named Jose. The adventure that followed involved, of all things, the Prospero stuck on the rocks near an uncharted island, a thrilling rescue mission, mutiny and eventually murder on board, not to mention an extraordinary discovery of how the lives of an oblivious Jose and Anna were somehow linked. Despite all of this, the play concluded with a wonderfully, hopelessly romantic ending, care, Jane suspected, of her cousin.

Jane and her son joined the playwright and his wife in a cab home, as their apartment was en route for the Driscolls.

"It was a terrific play!" Freddie exclaimed.

"I'm glad you liked it, buddy," Jack answered. "I wrote it specially for you and your mother, after all."

"Yes," Jane said, "Though I suspect you took some inspiration from a story I'm familiar with."

Ann and Jack exchanged grins over a blank-faced Freddie. "Could you tell?"

* * *

**A/N: **Hi, sorry I took so long to upload this. Parts of this chapter are probably slightly far-fetched, as I can't say I've ever witnessed a woman telling a man he's a dad before, but I hope you liked it anyway! Thanks for reading, and, as usual, reviews are very much appreciated.

the green lama

(**NB:** I'm assuming New Year would have come and gone by a few weeks after Carl's show, hence the sudden change from '33 to '34.)


	10. Chapter 10: Of String and a Gramophone

**Chapter X: Of String and a Gramophone**

**1934**

Jane was at her desk in her new apartment, the pencil in her hand poised over a sheet of paper. Her green eyes drifted over the lines she had scribbled down yesterday: the first lines of a novel.

From a gramophone on the table floated the stirring tones of one of her favourite pieces of music, 'Nimrod' from Elgar's Enigma Variations, and Jane's eyes raised from the paper. She laid the pencil gently on the desk, simply listening in wonder the beautiful piece. She couldn't find words to describe it, as 'sad' wasn't nearly enough, and 'mournful' too much. It was the sort of composition, she thought, which was always played in movies just as a heroine lost her hero.

Jane closed her eyes slowly, but they snapped open again as she heard the front door of her apartment shut gently. The corners of her mouth rose into a small smile: only one other person had keys to her home.

Getting to her feet, she turned to face the door just as the person she most wanted to see appeared through it.

"Frederick!"

He wore a small smile on his handsome features, and took the hands she reached out to him in his own, but said nothing. Instead, his blue eyes went to the gramophone.

"This music," he said, "It's…"

"…A little melancholy, I know," she finished for him.

"Melancholy? It's verging on heart-breaking."

His gaze met her own now, and he leant forwards to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Jane asked, and he accompanied his reply with a grin.

"Do I really need an excuse to visit you?" he asked. "Especially since…" his voice trailed away, but he lowered his eyes to her stomach, by now slightly larger than usual. "However," he added, "There is something I need to say."

Now the seaman turned away to look out of the window, and, though she couldn't see his expression, Jane suspected his intentions. After all, they were having a child together, the apartment was under both of their names, and she knew he was very much in love with her. Only one thing remained to make them a 'proper' couple, to make sure their child wasn't born illegitimate.

"Yes?" she prompted.

"You must understand," he began, "That I love you more than anything in the world, more than anyone." He paused and glanced back at her. She could not read his expression, but nodded and smiled anyway. "But, Jane, you know that in the real world, love is worth nothing." Her smile faded; this she didn't understand. "Love," he continued, "Can't pay for food, clothes or shelter. A child can't be brought up on love alone."

"What are you saying?" Jane asked quietly.

Frederick looked up into her eyes. "I have to go."

Jane's heart seemed to stop. "Go? Go where?"

"To sea. I need to make some money."

A strange feeling overcame the young woman, or, rather, a strange _sensation_, as she didn't actually _feel_ anything. There was no grief, no pain, no disbelief, no frantic thoughts flashing through her head. She was only aware of a dull throbbing somewhere inside her.

"Jane?"

The familiar voice barely pierced the hazy cloud that had suffocated her consciousness.

"Jane?"

Her eyes focused on Englehorn's face as he repeated her name. "Why?" she asked hoarsely. "Why must you go?"

"We need money. I don't want my child to be born to parents with empty pockets."

Jane turned away from him. "But I want the man I love to be there to hold his child as it is brought into the world."

"Believe me, I'd like to be," said the man in question. "I'll send what I earn home to you, and I'll visit you as often as I possibly can."

Jane didn't reply, but sank into her chair with her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Jane." Her lover gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "I do love you, but we have to be sensible."

"You're a typical German," she said quietly. "Pragmatic and practical… insensitive, almost."

"And you're typically English," he retorted coldly, "So irrational and over-emotional you can't see reality."

"That was uncalled for!" she exclaimed, getting to her feet quickly.

"_You_ were the first to mention my nationality. I am trying to be realistic!"

"And so your idea of rationality is to father a child and leave it to be born illegitimate! Without a proper family!"

Their voices had risen swiftly, and had drowned out the gramophone record that came to their attention now in the moments of silence. The music swelled to a dramatic climax, so moving that Jane could barely contain herself. In a film, the heroine would now be weeping and broken-hearted as her loved one was taken away from her.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Jane remarked. "That I should be listening to this heart-breaking music as you come to tell me your news."

Frederick didn't say anything, but turned away and made to leave. By the door, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

"We set sail a week from now," he told her quietly, "At ten o'clock in the morning."

Jane didn't move. Englehorn left the apartment, and the moment he closed the door behind him, the record stopped. The music was finished.

Jane collapsed back into her seat, her eyes settling on the paper before her. Slowly, almost uncertainly, she picked up the pencil and stared at it blankly for a few seconds. Suddenly, her hand jerked into action, and she scrawled an ugly black scribble over all that she had written. The pencil slipped through her fingers and fell to the floor, but Jane was oblivious.

A violent sob shook her body, and then the tears finally started to fall.

* * *

"Quickly, quickly!"

Ann Darrow was shouting at a cab driver frantically.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm going as fast as I possibly can in this traffic."

A week had passed since Jane had seen Englehorn, and it was fifteen minutes before the clocks struck ten in the morning. Ann glanced at her cousin, sat in the back of the cab beside her, whose eyes were fixed on her watch.

"We're not going to make it," Jane muttered, shaking her head.

"I keep telling you," the driver called back, "This is the fastest way to the docks!"

"We'll get there, trust me," Ann whispered reassuringly. "We'll catch that ship." She took hold of Jane's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, not letting go for the remainder of the agonising ten-minute journey.

The docks were, as always, swarming with people, but both young women dived out of the car as soon as they laid eyes on the familiar vessel. Ann only paused to shove a $10 note into the driver's hands and call, "Keep the change!" before running off in pursuit of Jane.

The Venture looked just set to leave, and the Englishwoman sped along at a velocity faster than most women in the early stages of pregnancy usually dare go.

"Frederick!" she yelled.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to look at her, but Jane didn't care, having just caught sight of her object standing by the gangway. Blue eyes wide in amazement, the Captain of the Venture came towards her quickly.

"Thank God!" she breathed, and fell forwards into his arms.

"I'm sorry!" they both said simultaneously. Pulling her towards him, Frederick kissed her passionately.

"You were right," Jane told him when they parted.

"So were you," he returned, and he plunged his hands into his pockets, searching hurriedly for something. "You know that I must go to sea, but there is one thing I can do for you." Out of his pocket, he produced a short piece of string. "I'm afraid I don't have a ring," he said, "So this'll have to do."

Jane gazed at him in awe, but, taking her hand, he tied the string gently round her ring finger.

She could hardly believe her eyes. "You mean…"

"When I get back," he began, "I'll buy you a proper ring, and make you my wife."

The corners of her mouth rose into a warm smile. "Really?"

He simply kissed her in reply, and she clung to him desperately, now even more reluctant to let go.

"My crew is waiting for me," he told her. "But I'll miss you terribly, and think of you every moment of every day."

"And I you," she replied.

"Good bye," Frederick whispered into Jane's ear, holding her tightly to him in a tender embrace. "I love you," he added, "And good luck with our little one." He drew back and smiled. "I can't wait to see my child."

Kissing her forehead quickly, he turned to board his ship, but Jane had a sudden thought.

"What should I name it?" she called after him, and he stopped at the Venture's railing to look back.

"I'm sure you'll pick a wonderful name," he told her. Then, flashing her a last loving smile, he yelled, "Cast off!" and swiftly climbed the steps to the bridge.

Ann came forward and took her cousin's hand, examining the hastily crafted ring the Captain had given her.

"Engaged?" she asked with a smile.

Jane simply nodded shyly in reply, glancing back up at the familiar wheelhouse as the ship's horn sounded noisily. Slowly but surely, the Venture moved out into open water, guided by the able hands of the man whose wife Jane hoped soon to be.

* * *

**A/N:** Ah... Hopefully all of you wonderful readers enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it! If you haven't heard the Elgar piece I made a reference to, you should look it up and prepare to be amazed. Gorgeous isn't the word, folks! Please keep your encouraging reviews coming, and I'll give you the next chapter, in which something really BIG happens. Danke!

the green lama


	11. Chapter 11: A Late Visitor

**A/N:** I'm putting this up unusually early as a big thank you to all of the stars who've left me reviews, and incredibly encouraging ones at that! You make my day, and I hope you enjoy this!

**Chapter XI: A Late Visitor**

Jane heaved a deep sigh of relief as she closed Freddie's bedroom door gently behind her. Ann, who was curled up comfortably on the sofa, giggled and caught her cousin's eye.

"You were some time there," she remarked.

Jane nodded wearily. "God, yes, that boy never seems to tire! He would not lie down!"

Ann smiled, having often witnessed Jane's attempts to put her son to bed. "Motherhood seems to be quite a task," she said, her hand resting on the large bump that was her first child.

The Englishwoman gave her cousin a warm smile as she sank into the armchair opposite her. "You could say that," she agreed. "It's exhausting, yet thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying."

"Hopefully my little one will be a good sleeper."

"Babies are, only mostly though daylight hours." Jane paused, her countenance loving and peaceful as she looked back on Freddie's early years. "My little monkey just tended to bawl whenever he wanted anything, regardless of the time."

"So I recall," Ann agreed with a giggle. "I don't think Jack and I will ever forget the bags under your eyes."

Jane lifted her green eyes to look at her cousin, but Ann seemed oblivious. There was a dream-like expression on the actress' beautiful features; she seemed miles away.

"I look forward to seeing the bags under your eyes when your baby arrives," the young mother said with a smile, but her companion appeared to snap out of her dream.

"I've almost forgotten what I came for!" she exclaimed, sitting forward suddenly. "Goodness, I was getting completely carried away by your talk of babies."

Leaning down, Ann picked up her brown leather handbag and set it on the sofa beside her before undoing the clasps.

"I found something for you," she said, "In our box upstairs."

Jane raised an eyebrow in interest. She knew Ann and Jack kept memoirs of their voyage to Skull Island in a 'box upstairs', but had never dared look inside.

"I don't know why we had this," Ann continued, rummaging in her bag, "But I suppose Jack must have picked it up by accident. Ah, here we are!"

She produced a small, red, leather-bound book and held it out to her cousin. Jane's eyes widened in amazement as she recognised it. It was a volume she had flicked through many a time during spare hours on the bridge, and as she took it from Ann, she instantly recognised the familiar gold lettering on the cover: _'The Tempest'._

"Is this…?"

Jane opened the book, and there on the very first page, smudged and faded amongst the various stains and ink blots, was the signature that would be forever inscribed on her memory: _F. Englehorn_. She rubbed her thumb softly over the writing, and a small smile appeared on her features.

"I thought you might like it," Ann said quietly, watching her cousin fondly.

Jane didn't say anything. Holding this book in her hands again, seeing the name she held so dear on the first page had taken her back to the weeks she spent on board the Venture. Happenings in the present went unnoticed, as her many memories of those days now took precedence over them in her mind.

"It's all coming back to me," she murmured, "All of the time I spent with him, all of the things he said…"

Her voice trailed away, and now it was Ann's turn to marvel at her cousin's dreamy expression. Jane was brought harshly back down to earth however, as there was a sudden knock at the door. Ann jumped, but her companion scowled.

"Isn't it rather late for visitors?" she asked angrily. "I've only just got Freddie into bed!"

Sighing deeply in frustration, she got out of her chair and placed the old book on the arm to go and answer the door. As she did so, she was fully prepared to give the late caller a good telling off for disturbing her son, but what she saw when she opened the door stopped her dead in her tracks.

All of the memories and emotions that had been welling up for nearly five years inside Jane seemed to culminate with an almighty explosion in her mind. In this instant, a gasp of shock and disbelief escaped from her lips and she staggered backwards, falling against the wall for support, her vision hazy and out of focus.

What she saw before her was something that had never left her thoughts in all the time it had been gone. Everything was there, everything she knew and loved: the sturdy seaman's boots; the loose chocolate-brown cotton shirt that she had always favoured; the off-white Captain's cap; those familiar blue eyes that even now looked deep into her own…

Ann glanced over at Jane in concern. She could not see who stood at the door, but rose quickly from her seat to find out, and as she arrived at her cousin's side, she seemed to step through a loophole in time, back to her days at sea. Her eyes were wide and her throat frozen in amazement, but she managed to ease a few hoarse words out.

"Good evening, Captain Englehorn."

His gaze turned to her briefly, and he gave her a slight nod.

"Hello, Miss Darrow."

Ann didn't even think about correcting his use of her maiden name, as at the very sound of his voice Jane had let out an exclamation of surprise and clapped her hand to her mouth. Glancing at her cousin, the actress saw that her green eyes were gleaming with tears.

Slowly, almost uncertainly, Jane approached the man who had haunted her dreams for years, and reaching out a hand, gently brushed his cheek with her fingertips. His eyes closed in delight at her touch, but he took her other hand in his own and pressed it to his lips lovingly.

"_You_," Jane breathed as the first of her tears trickled down her cheeks. "You're here."

"Yes." Englehorn opened his eyes and caught her own, holding her gaze like he was never going to let it go.

Ann watched all of this in wonder, unable to believe what she saw. She had previously begun to suspect that the couple before her, currently oblivious to her presence, would never be together again. To see her suspicions disproved was one of the happiest sights she would ever lay eyes on. Moving as silently as she could, Ann found her coat and handbag and attempted to leave unnoticed, but Jane's eyes found her as she passed them.

"Leaving?" her cousin asked.

Ann nodded. "I'll leave you be," she told them. "But it's absolutely wonderful to see you together at last."

A flicker of a smile played on Jane's lips as Ann closed the door behind her, leaving them alone.

"I'm back," Frederick told her, "And I'll never leave you again."

Her smile widened, but did not have time to develop into the oncoming laughter of delight, as her lover pulled her swiftly towards him and kissed her passionately. The arms he wrapped tightly round her waist caught her and held her close to him as her legs gave way, and Jane reached up her own arms around his neck. The emotions brought on by her dreams of moments like this did not compare to those that overcame her now: her sheer joy, her immense relief, and her great love for the man in whose arms she was held.

"I love you, Jane," he breathed. "I never knew how much till I didn't have you by my side."

The Englishwoman smiled through her tears. "Tell me again."

"I love you." And this he accompanied with another kiss.

"Say it again," she told him when they separated. "Call me by my name again."

The letter 'j' formed on his lips, but no sound came out as his facial expression suddenly underwent a dramatic transfiguration. Confusion, shock and even disbelief replaced the pleasant smile that he had worn before.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked, her smile fading slightly in concern. "Frederick? You look like you've seen a ghost."

His eyes however, were looking over her shoulder. When she turned, Jane saw Freddie's door ajar, and her son peeping shyly through the gap. She cast her eyes back to the visitor, who barely moved a muscle as he spoke quietly.

"Jane," he murmured, "Jane, is he…?"

His voice trailed away, but Jane went forward to kneel in front of the small boy.

"What are you doing out of bed?" she asked gently, stroking his blonde hair affectionately. "Can't you sleep?"

"I heard the door shut," he told her, his young voice muffled by the teddy bear he held tightly.

"That was just Auntie Ann leaving," his mother explained.

"And…" Freddie eyed Englehorn shyly, "Who's that?"

Jane glanced back at her lover, a small smile on her face. "Why don't you go and introduce yourself?" she suggested. "Like I taught you, remember?"

Nodding nervously, Freddie cautiously approached his father.

"How do you do?" he asked, holding out a small hand. "I'm Frederick Englehorn."

"Frederick Englehorn?" the elder repeated quietly. His eyes flashed briefly to Jane, before his lips curled into a warm smile and he knelt down to shake the boy's hand.

"Yes, though my mum only calls me that when she's angry. I'm called Freddie really."

"Then I'm pleased to meet you, Freddie," his father said, before adding, "At last," under his breath.

"But what's your name?" the youngster enquired, looking the seaman up and down suspiciously.

Englehorn grinned. "It's the same as yours," he told Freddie quietly.

"Really?" He looked now to his mother, whose eyes lingered on the visitor. "But why were you and my mum…?" His voice trailed away.

"Your mother and I have met before," Englehorn explained.

"You have?"

"Before he left to go on his adventures," Jane put in, and Freddie's eyes lit up.

"Adventures!"

His father laughed. "You could say that."

"Freddie," Jane said quietly to her son. "Do you remember me telling you about your daddy not too long ago? Do you remember what I told you about him?"

Freddie simply nodded, but just who this visitor was suddenly seemed to click in his mind, and his blue eyes quickly turned on the man keeling before him, his face the picture of amazement.

"It's you!" he exclaimed, and he ran forward to throw his arms around Englehorn's neck. "You're him!" The small boy paused suddenly, eyeing his father suspiciously. "Aren't you?"

"I am," was the simple reply, and Jane could see her lover barely knew what to say in his joy. Indeed, neither did she at seeing Freddie in his father's arms at last. Both father and son were laughing merrily, and Englehorn scooped up his child in his arms to swing him round in the air.

"You've come at last!" Freddie laughed. "I knew you would!"

His father stood him back on the floor, still clutching his teddy bear, but held him at arm's length to look at him. "My God," Englehorn breathed. "He looks…"

"…Just like his father," Jane finished for him.

"But why did you stay away so long?" Freddie asked innocently, and his father's smile faded.

"An excellent question," his mother commented.

"I'll tell you another time," Englehorn answered simply. He raised his eyes to catch Jane's, and from the solemn expression in them she instantly understood that the reason was not a tale for young ears.

Freddie's face fell. "Why not now?" he demanded.

"Because it's far too late for you!" Jane told him. "Little boys should all be tucked up in their beds by this time of night."

"No!" moaned the little boy in question, before turning to his father. "Tell her!" he exclaimed. "Tell her it's not too late! You can see I'm not tired!"

A small smile graced Englehorn's features at this early taste of fatherhood. "She's right," he told his son, much to the youngster's horror. "But there'll be plenty of time tomorrow for anything you want to hear."

Jane gave him a grateful smile: he'd passed the first test perfectly.

"All right," Freddie assented, and he turned to go back to bed.

"Impressive," Jane murmured. "He's never been that quick to do as I ask." Her lover flashed her an affectionate smile. "Now you can help me put him to bed."

With a nod, Englehorn followed her into their son's room.

Freddie had already climbed into bed, and Jane knelt down to tuck the covers around him. Her son, however, had no time for her.

"Are you going to tell me all about your adventures?" he asked his father, who now knelt beside Jane.

"Of course," he replied. "About all the wild animals and the strange, faraway countries that I've seen."

"Which animals? Were you frightened?"

"Not now," Englehorn said gently, softly stroking his son's blonde hair out of his eyes.

Yawning, Freddie nestled down into his blankets and hugged his teddy tightly. "I'm awfully glad you've come to see us," he said quietly.

His father smiled warmly. Jane glanced at him, and saw that his familiar blue eyes were glistening with tears of pride and joy. "So am I, Freddie," he answered softly. "So am I."

* * *

Not far away, Ann Driscoll practically fell through her front door as she dashed into her home.

"Jack!" she yelled. ""Jack, where are you?"

"Here, Ann," he replied, hurrying down the stairs, and he caught her in his arms. "What is it?" he asked worriedly.

"He's back!" Ann exclaimed. "I saw him there in the doorway with my own eyes!"

"Who?" Jack asked. "Who did you see?"

His wife gave no name, but looked deep into his eyes and beamed. "He's back," she repeated quietly. "They're together again." She paused, tears gleaming in her eyes. "Freddie has a father at last."

* * *

**A/N: **At last! Ah, re-reading this brought a smile even to my face! Please continue to give me reviews, and I'll gave you the next installment quickly too. Cheers,

the green lama

(Next up: daddy's excuses)


	12. Chapter 12: A Father's Excuses

**Chapter XII: A Father's Excuses**

When Jane woke the next morning, she felt unusually happy. For a moment or two, she could not recall any reason for this feeling, before the soft tones of a familiar voice reached her ears.

"_For several virtues Have I liked several women; and never any With so full soul but some defect in her Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed And put it to the foil."_

Jane smiled. Rolling over, she saw Frederick Englehorn sat up in bed with his copy of _The Tempest_ open in his hands. He continued to read aloud from the text.

"_But you, O you, So perfect and so peerless, are created of every creature's best._"

He glanced down at her with a warm smile. "Good morning, Jane."

She returned the smile. "You're really here! I thought I'd imagined you."

Her lover laughed and touched her cheek softly. "No, I'm real."

Before she got carried away, however, she quickly sat up and brought up a topic that he had avoided last night.

"Are you ready yet?" she asked.

He looked at her blankly. "Ready for what?"

"To tell me why you stayed away so long. To offer your excuses."

Frederick sighed deeply. His explanation was something Jane fully deserved to hear, though he had put it off constantly when questioned the previous evening. "All right, I'll tell you."

He didn't say anything more at first, and Jane watched him with eager expectancy.

"After I left you in New York," he began at last, "We stopped at Southampton on the south coast of England to buy supplies for the voyage to Africa. There, a man named Harry Smith came aboard my ship. He recognised it, he said, because his father had once been the Captain. It was true: Captain Smith had left me his ship just before his death, though had never even mentioned he had a son. This young man, he claimed the Venture was not lawfully mine. He claimed that his father's will clearly left the ship to him. Of course, I didn't believe him at first. The hand-over of the Venture to me following Captain Smith's death had all been carried out properly as far as I was concerned. His son got the Law involved. I tried to reason with them, but you English can be damn stubborn. Also, there were no men left onboard who'd been there when I was made Captain.

"That bastard Smith took the Venture from me. He refused to sell it, but made himself Captain and changed the name. I was left by myself in England, with little money and nowhere to stay, watching another man sail away with my ship.

"I managed to get a room in a boarding house, and spent a sleepless night considering my options. The first was to find my way back to New York and abandon the Venture. The second, to start a new life on a new ship and work my way up again. The third, to buy back my ship, and this was the plan I settled on. I began work in the docks. I saved all the money I could and watched constantly for Smith's return with the Venture. After six long months, I was amazed to see Jimmy disembark from an American cargo ship. It was wonderful to see a familiar face, as well as to be called 'skipper' again. Jimmy told me he'd left the ship as quickly as he could. It seemed my replacement was hopeless, and knew nothing of the industry he'd forced his way into. Jimmy worked with me, and he willingly added his earnings to my savings. His help and company made me very grateful, and taught me to respect him in a way I'd never done before.

"After three years of this, the Venture, renamed 'Betsy', reappeared in dock, looking considerably worse for wear than when I'd least seen her. The Captain was in the depths of despair: he'd failed spectacularly at live animal capture and was deeply in debt. He sold the ship back to me quickly for practically nothing. I paid off his debts; carried out the necessary repairs; had 'S. S. Venture' painted on the hull; and was reinstated as Captain Englehorn. We set sail for New York as quickly as we could."

Frederick finished with a small smile on his handsome face, and glanced at Jane to see that her expression was the picture of utmost amazement and shock.

"Well?" he asked. "Are you satisfied?"

She didn't say anything. She hadn't known what to expect from his time away, but would never have guessed anything quite on this scale.

"You lost your ship?" she exclaimed at last, "And worked in Southampton docks?"

He nodded.

"Then why didn't you come back? You could've been here for Freddie!"

"I wanted to return!" he insisted. "Believe me, Jane, I thought of you every second of every day, but I had to get the Venture back." He paused. "I know what you're thinking: what is a rusty tramp steamer when you've a family waiting for you?"

She nodded. These were her thoughts exactly.

"If I had come back to you, I suppose things would have been nice enough, but I wouldn't have felt…" His voice trailed away, before he muttered, "I don't know the English word."

"Whole?" Jane suggested. Frederick simply caught her eye, smiling sadly. "I know your ship is everything to you. Losing _you_ hurt me dreadfully because you're everything to _me_, so I understand your feelings."

"Thank you. I'm sorry that the other love of my life kept us apart so long."

"I suppose I'm willing to forgive you," she told him with a smile, and he slid his left arm round her waist before laying an affectionate kiss on the top of her head. She nestled into him with a fond sigh. "It's wonderful to have you back, Frederick."

"No one's happier than me, I assure you." There was a brief pause, before he spoke again. "What time is he usually up?"

Jane didn't even have to ask who he meant. "Freddie's normally up and about by now, actually. What with you coming back, I expected him active before dawn." Frederick laughed, and she began to absent-mindedly trace patterns on his chest with her fingertips as she asked her second major question of the morning. "So, what do you think of him?"

"He's perfect," was the immediate response.

"And this is after speaking to him for all of fifteen minutes?"

"Some things don't take long to figure out." Frederick paused and glanced at her. "You've done a fantastic job of raising him."

She looked deep into her lover's eyes, and Jane could see that his words didn't even remotely do justice to the real excitement he felt for fatherhood. This expression of happiness was magnified tremendously as the door burst open to admit Freddie himself.

"You're really here!" he exclaimed, his attention going straight to his father. "I thought I'd imagined you!"

In one instant, the youngster sped into the room, scrambled up on to the bed, and settled himself snugly between his parents.

"Hello, there," Englehorn said fondly, beaming down at his son.

"I had a dream about you!" Freddie told him.

"You did?"

"I was with you on one of your adventures! We were in a jungle, and we had to save mum's life!"

Frederick caught Jane's eye briefly, practically glowing with fatherly pride. "And did we rescue her?"

"Of course! You were a hero!"

Freddie snuggled into his father, and the seaman wrapped an arm around his child. Jane couldn't tell which looked happier.

"Dad?" the small boy asked.

Hearing him say that word stirred his mother almost to tears. His father was touched too, she could tell by the thickness of his voice as he prompted, "Yes?"

"Do you have a ship?"

"I do."

Freddie gasped in astonishment and sat forward eagerly. "Can I see it?"

Jane's lover glanced up at her. "We're not doing anything else today," she assured them, and Frederick grinned at his son.

"Well, why not?"

All through breakfast, and for the entire duration of the cab journey to the docks, Freddie and his father talked non-stop. Jane couldn't have got a word in edgeways even if she'd wanted to, but was content simply to observe as the father-son bond was strengthened. Before the pair had even known each other twenty-four hours, a great deal of love between them could already be seen. It was also clear that Freddie instantly idolised his father.

The four-year-old's excitement only grew as they were longer and longer in the taxi. When the car stopped at last, he dived out of the door and gazed at his alien surroundings in awe. Englehorn called after him frantically, warning him not to run off by himself. Jane simply smiled and paid the cab driver, letting her lover receive his first taste of the chaos of parenthood unaided.

By the time she finally joined them, Frederick was busy pointing out his ship to his son, who couldn't contain his excitement. He glanced over his shoulder at her, however, and held out a hand.

"Are you coming, Jane?"

Nodding, she took his offered hand, before her eyes settled on a familiar sight. She couldn't contain her gasp of surprise. The Captain was happier than she had ever seen him, and it seemed his ship matched.

"What do you think?" he asked Freddie. The four-year-old couldn't answer, and simply gazed at the vessel in amazement.

"I see you've made some small changes," Jane remarked, and her lover gave her a small smile.

Though she had loved the old Venture, she had been rusty and rundown – a wreck of a ship. Now, she couldn't have looked more different.

"Well, I though she needed a repaint," Frederick told her, "And we're keeping her a lot cleaner."

He now led them towards it, and as they neared the gangway, Jane heard a familiar voice.

"You found her, skipper!"

Looking up, she saw Jimmy hurrying down to her, and before she knew what was happening, found herself held in a tight embrace.

"Jane! You're back!"

"No, you're back," she corrected. "I was never away."

As they separated, Jane gazed at her old friend in amazement. "Wow", she breathed, "You look so different!"

Jimmy simply smiled, but during his five years' absence he'd grown from a boy into a man. The change was unbelievable.

"There's someone you should meet," the Captain told him, and Jimmy's eyes immediately went to Freddie, widening in shock.

"Freddie, this is Jimmy. He's part of my crew. Jimmy, this is my son."

There was nothing said for a moment or two, before Freddie held out a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Jimmy," he said brightly, and the young man Jane had once known as the 'baby' of the ship couldn't help but smile.

"It's nice to meet you too," he returned.

Freddie watched him curiously for a few seconds before putting forward a major question. "Are you going to be my friend?"

Jane could already see warm affection in Jimmy's eyes as he shyly replied.

"I'd like that."

* * *

**A/N: **I know this took ages to write, and I'm sorry. Inspiration just fizzled away and I caught a nasty bout of writer's block. I hope you like this, and hope to get the final chapter up as soon as I can, honest! Thanks,

the green lama


	13. Chapter 13: Moonlit Harbour

**A/N: **Yet again, here I am apologising for the long delay in getting this chapter up. It's due to these little things called GCSEs, you see, and all of the revision they entail, as well as FA Cup finals and whatnot. Here you go, at last... the final chapter.

**Chapter XIII: Moonlit Harbour**

It was a warm, bright day in summer 1939, and a red car came to a halt at a busy New York dock. A man stepped out, looking around in confusion. Tall, dark-haired and well dressed, he stepped forward and stopped a dock worker.

"'Scuse me," he began, "Do you know if a ship called the Venture has docked yet?"

"Not yet," the man replied. "That's the tramp steamer, ain't it? With the German Captain?" His questioner nodded, and the dock hand turned round, pointing out to sea. "That might be her, though."

An elegant blonde woman now emerged from the back seat of the car. She held a young child in her arms and followed the man's gaze before nodding. "That's her, Jack."

Her husband simply nodded, flashing her a loving smile. "Thanks," he said to the dock worker, and the man got on with his work.

By the time Jack paid the cab driver and lifted his second child out of the car, the familiar steamer was close enough to read the name on the hull. He could sense his wife's excitement growing, but a wide smile appeared on his own face too as they began to recognise several familiar figures.

The first was a child, a boy of maybe six years old, who scampered energetically along the deck and up the steps to the bridge, where a man in a white cap stood at the helm. As soon as the boy saw them, he waved frantically.

"Uncle Jack! Auntie Ann!" he called.

The couple waved back, overjoyed to see this child again.

It was not long before the vessel docked, and the youngster raced down the gangway as soon as he could, his face lit up by a bright smile. "Babies!" he exclaimed.

"Ann! Jack!"

They all looked up to see a familiar woman rushing down the gangway after her son.

"Jane!"

The Englishwoman gazed in awe at the babies her friends were cradling. "Twins!" she exclaimed.

"This is Rebecca," Ann said, smiling down at the infant in her arms, "And our son is called William."

"They're beautiful!" Jane told her cousin. Having been away for a year now, she had not yet seen the children.

"And how are you, Jane?" Jack asked.

She accompanied her reply with a grin. "That's Mrs Englehorn to you," she corrected.

Ann stared. "At last!" Her cousin held out a hand, and the actress examined the gold ring she wore.

"Congratulations," Jack said with a warm smile, and she thanked him. "But haven't you grown?" he asked, turning to Freddie. The youngster smiled proudly.

While he'd been at sea, he had changed tremendously. Not only was he taller now, but his face was tanned and freckled, his hair fairer than ever, and his features even more like those of his father.

"He is the double of Englehorn!" Ann exclaimed.

Jane smiled. "Yes, he's a good-looking little boy." The cousins exchanged smirks and Jack pretended to be preoccupied with his son. "Come aboard," Jane said. "Now I've met your little angels, there's someone you should be introduced to."

She led them up on to the deck of the familiar vessel.

"Who might this someone be?" Ann asked.

"The newest addition to our crew," Jane revealed. "She came on board in London not too long ago."

"London?" The actress exchanged glances with her husband. "You've been home?"

"Of course. Our new crewmember had to meet my mother, you see. Ah, there you are!"

Looking ahead, Ann and Jack laid eyes on another familiar figure.

"Englehorn! It's good to see you!"

The Captain of the Venture approached them with a broad smile on his handsome face. "It's good to see you too, Jack, Ann." He nodded to them both in greeting. "Is it alright if I meet the little Driscolls later? I have things to do now."

Both Driscolls nodded quickly, and the German seaman turned to his wife. "Can you get her?" he asked quietly. "She won't like all this noise."

"Sure," Jane answered, then with a kiss on her forehead and another nod to Ann and Jack, Englehorn hurried away.

"'_She_'?" Ann asked instantly.

Her cousin led them indoors. "Our time at sea has been rather… _productive_," she explained, but they didn't have time to decipher what this meant before they spotted yet another old friend coming towards them.

"Shh!" he hissed instantly. "You have to be quiet!"

The Driscolls both froze as they realised what Jimmy was carrying. It wasn't at all different to their own gurgling bundles of joy, actually.

"A baby!" Ann breathed. "You've had another?"

Jane simply smiled and went forward to take her youngest child from its babysitter.

"She's been sleeping soundly," Jimmy said as he handed her over, "But the ship's horn woke her up not too long ago." As soon as the small child left his arms, he glanced up at Ann and Jack with a grin. "Hi!"

Jack grinned back, but Ann was preoccupied with gazing at her cousin's second child.

"This is Catherine," Jane told them, smiling down at her daughter. "Our little Cathy."

"How old is she?" Ann asked.

"Nearly three months, now."

"She looks just like her dad," Jimmy put in, smiling affectionately. Little Cathy had exactly the same bright blue eyes as her father and brother, and already a head of angelic blonde curls.

"She's not _that_ interesting," Freddie said, quite forgotten alongside his baby sister. "All she does is sleep and cry."

The adults exchanged glances, but a loud call suddenly came through the open door.

"Freddie! Komm hier, bitte!"

"Ich komme, Kapitän!" the young boy answered quickly, and scampered away on to deck.

Jane sighed deeply. "That boy is so much like his father it's scary sometimes, all the more so now he's learning German." She paused and looked down at the little girl in her arms. "We won't let that happen to little Cathy, will we now?" she asked, adopting the high-pitched tone grown-ups always address young children in. "Oh no we won't! She's going to be a lovely little English girl!"

* * *

The day passed by, and the Driscolls remained with the Englehorns aboard the Venture. The animals captured on the voyage to Africa were all unloaded, among them a moody lioness, named Victoria by Freddie after the once Queen of England, and a gigantic cobra affectionately titled Lazy Joe.

The Captain then invited his visitors inside, and Carlo, the ship's Italian cook, prepared a pasta dish for the evening meal that was so good, Freddie asked for three helpings.

Before long, the young Driscolls were sleeping peacefully below deck with Cathy, and the adults watched the sun set over Manhattan from the dinner table, sipping wine and swapping amusing anecdotes. Jimmy and Freddie sat at the end of the table leaning over a scrabble board, but the Captain was in the middle of a thrilling tale of an ambush on the African plains.

"It was night by now," he said in a low voice, "And we were crawling through the grass with only the light of the moon and stars to see by. I approached the zebra, and was just set to throw my net over it quickly when it bolted. I hadn't frightened it, but there was something in the bushes opposite us that was rustling and making odd sounds. The crew was scared, they didn't know what it was, so I crept forward, holding my pistol in my hands in case I had to shoot quickly. I dived forward into the bush, grabbed the creature and—"

"That's not a word!"

They all glanced up quickly at Jimmy's sudden exclamation.

"Yes it is!" Freddie insisted.

"No, you made it up!"

"Even ask my dad, he'll tell you!"

They both suddenly turned on the Captain.

"Dad! Tell Jimmy that's a word!" Freddie spun the scrabble board around so his father could see.

"I'm afraid he's right, Jimmy," Englehorn said. "That's the German for 'flowers'."

"Can you use German words in English scrabble?" Jane asked.

"You can now," her son answered, a wide grin on his tanned features.

"Isn't it time you were in bed, Freddie?" his father asked, and the little boy's happiness quickly disappeared.

"But I'm winning!" he said angrily.

"I recognise that scowl," Ann murmured to her husband, and Jane glanced at her with a small smile.

"Come on, Fred," Jimmy said, getting to his feet. "How about a bedtime story?" The child glared at him wordlessly. "Do I have to tickle you all the way to your cabin?"

The flicker of a smile passed across Freddie's face.

"All right then…" Jimmy dived forwards suddenly, and his young friend sprung out of his seat suddenly.

"No!" he cried. "Don't tickle me… please!" He laughed merrily however, and they could hear him still doing so as he ran out of the room and was pursued by Jimmy down through the ship to his cabin.

"Jimmy seems different," Ann said thoughtfully as the sounds of Freddie's laughter slowly died away. The Englehorns exchanged glances, but the actress continued. "I don't remember him being so…" Her voice trailed away and Jane spoke.

"He's become more confident recently," she said. "I think Freddie's really helped him to get over you-know-who."

The Driscolls both glanced at the Captain, who smiled sadly and distantly. "He definitely looks out for Freddie. He seems to enjoy parenthood almost as much as we do." Englehorn caught his wife's eye, his own blues twinkling.

"Our son isn't his only companion, however," she said. "Jimmy met someone in London, you see. A girl."

"A singer, about twenty, from New Zealand," the Captain put in.

"She's called Suki Jackson, with big brown eyes and long black hair: very pretty."

"She was all set to become our onboard entertainer, but she had to go home. You can guess where Jimmy hopes to sail next." Englehorn paused. "He's totally obsessed with her… it's hilarious." He caught Jack's eye with a grin.

"It's sweet," Jane corrected, "And you're hardly one to mock him," she added, looking to her cousin's husband. "_Good morning, Miss Darrow… you look beautiful this morning,_" she said, mimicking his voice but putting on a simpering, sweet tone. "Yes, I remember it well."

Ann giggled, but Jack's laugh was rather more awkward and he said no more.

The evening wore on, and the Driscolls eventually set off for home in a cab. Cathy had long since been lulled off to sleep by her patient mother, and even Freddie was snoozing peacefully in his cabin after hours of stories from Jimmy. The Venture was quiet, but the Captain and his wife were on the bridge together, looking out over the glistening, moonlit waters of the harbour.

"It's a beautiful night," Jane said quietly.

"Ja," her husband responded. He had one arm round her waist, and she let her head rest on his shoulder.

They said no more, but no more needed to be said. Jane simply sighed deeply: tranquil and content in her husband's arms.

* * *

**A/N: **I'd like to thank all of you who've read and reviewed this. If not for your inspiration, I'd have given up long ago. Is anyone interested in a sequel? I haven't decided whether to write one yet; I need ideas (hinty hint.) Please make my day and leave me a final review! Thanks again,

the green lama


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